


Star Wars: Jed Odyssey: Shadow War I: Alpha

by SWEULover2007



Series: Star Wars: Jedi Odyssey [3]
Category: Star Wars Legends: Legacy Era - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-04 03:31:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 61,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12762231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SWEULover2007/pseuds/SWEULover2007
Summary: It has been almost one year since Edaan Palpatine set off to redeem Vestara Khai. In the past ten months, he has gathered many underworld allies, and gained the support of the Jedi Order. Now, his quest takes him to Mandalore, which is embroiled in a brutal civil war. He and his allies will pick a side, and aid them in ending this war before it consumes the galaxy.





	1. Prologue

Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War: Alpha

 

_Dramatis Personae_

 

Adari Thayn; Teras Kasi instructor (Keshiri Female)

 

Akku Sei II; Mandalorian captain (Anzati Male)

 

Atai Molec; Zygerria Anti-Slavery movement leader/mechanic (Zygerrian Male)

 

Azzim Anjilic Atirue; hutt lord (Masculine Hutt)

 

Belok Rhal; Neo Death Watch commander (Human male)

 

Boba Fett; Mandalorian Bounty Hunter, _Mand’alor_ (Human male)

 

Edaan Palpatine; Jedi Knight (Human Male)

 

Ghes Orade; Mandalorian warrior (Human male)

 

Goran Beviin, Mandalorian warrior and farmer (Human male)

 

Jaing Skirata; Mandalorian Bounty Hunter and spy (Human male)

 

Jarael Chantique; medic (Iskalloni Female)

 

Mirta Gev; Neo Death Watch commander (human female)

 

Natasi Daala; Neo Death Watch leader and admiral (human female)

 

Robonino; professional slicer/bounty hunter (Patrolian Slicer)

 

R2-D2; Astromech Droid

 

Venku Skirata; Mandalorian leader (Human male)

 

Vua Rapuung; refugee/gladiator (Yuuzhan Vong Extolled)

 

_The darkness takes all forms, and lurks in the shadows, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Only one lone candle is able to stand against it._

**Hello, everyone. I hope you are ready for a lot of action and immersion into the culture of the Mandalorian warriors, because this story is one of two that will provide each of those things. I’m doing this fanfic partly to honor the works that Karen Traviss created during her time as a _Star Wars_ author, as her works were beyond exceptional in so many ways. They forced its readers to redefining the definition of classic good guys and bad guys, delved deep into moral issues set during the Clone War, and built up a fascinating culture that has developed a massive fan base across the globe, uniting people of all cultures through their love of _Star Wars_. Anyway, that’s enough rambling on my part. Let’s get started on making a legendary fanfic. May the force be with us all!**

_Hyperspace, Twenty Minutes from the Mandalore System_

 

Edaan Palpatine sensed a great disturbance in the force as his ship, the _Second Chance_ , rapidly closed the distance between the Mandalore system and the _Second Chance_. Even as he meditated in the Cockpit as Adari and Akku prepared to exit hyperspace, he could feel the death and destruction radiating through the Force.

 

Azzim’s source wasn’t kidding when the civil war was intensifying on the planet, recalling the briefing that Azzim and his bothan spy, Podo, had given him just before he, his crew, and Akku’s thirty loyal Mandalorians, had started their four-day journey towards Mandalore. It had revealed that Boba Fett was leading a group of loyal Mandalorians against a splinter group called “Neo Death Watch” that had surfaced three years ago. Apparently, mandalorians Mirta Gev and Belok Rhal were commanders of the radical faction, which confused Edaan, as Mirta Gev was Boba Fett’s granddaughter, and family was an essential part of Mandalorian society and culture.

 

Unfortunately, Pobo could not identify the leader of the Neo Death Watch, but he had intercepted a transmission between Belok Rhal and the “Dragon Lord”, the unidentified Sith lord that Vestara most likely served, about troop movements and weapons shipments in the Mandalorian cities of Sundari and Keldabe.

 

As neither Edaan nor Azzim could do anything with this intelligence, they decided to bring the intelligence to Boba Fett, in the hopes of creating an alliance between the three of them. Of course, that would mean that Boba would have to ally with the Jedi, with whom he bore a grudge against for the death of his father, legendary bounty hunter Jango Fett, as well as how former Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker sacrificed the lives of many Mandalorians during the Second Battle of Roche in order for then-Jedi Knight Jaina Solo to have a shot at killing her brother, the fallen Jedi Darth Caedus. _Why can’t anything about this quest ever be easy?_ Edaan idly thought to himself as he told Adari to pull the ship out of hyperspace.

 

As his girlfriend complied, he quickly sensed a death nearby, and yelled, “Get ready to fight our way to the planet! Akku, alert your men to be alert for any Neo Death Watch fighters.” As Adari and Akku briefly acknowledged his orders, Edaan quickly made their way to one of the Quad-turrets, ready for a fight, but hoping to avoid one.

 

**Well, that was an interesting chapter, to say the least. Now, if you’re wondering what Mirta Gev is doing supporting the Neo Death Watch movement, don’t worry. All will be revealed in time. If you have any questions about my characters, then read my first two stories, _Jedi Odyssey: Escape_ and _Jedi Odyssey: Recruitment_. Oh, and if you have any other questions, then feel free to send me an email. **


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone. How are you doing? I’m fine, and eager to create more Star Wars EU literature. Be warned, these two stories will feature heavy action, and a lot of violence and death. You have been warned. And, now, we’d better get on with the story.**

 

Just as Edaan sensed, the entire planet Mandalore was a battle zone. In the atmosphere of the planet, Bes’uliik and Kom’rk-class starfighters were destroying each other in the dozens. And the fighting on the ground was even worse. Mandalorian gunships and jetpack warriors were slaughtering each other in the desert surrounding the domed city of Sundari, the former capital of the New Mandalorians government. It seemed that no one was safe from the fighting, not even the children, as evidenced by the small bodies that the crew saw that lain across one of the recent battlefields. _Hopefully, we can do something about that._ Edaan grimly thought as he searched for targets on the _Second Chance_ ’s sensors.

 

Thankfully, the Second Chance and the five ships that comprised Akku Sei’s loyal company of Mandalorians seemed to provide adequate protection against any raiders. It was only when they approached the capital of Keldabe that they encountered any opposition. As they approached the city, ten Firespray Pursuit-Class fighters came out of nowhere.

 

The lead fighter, which Edaan, Adari, and Akku could only assume to be the legendary _Slave One_ that was used by Mandalores Jango and Boba Fett, hailed them, and Boba Fett, the current Mandalore, said, _“There had better be a good reason for you coming here, Solo.”_ Fett growled out. “ _We’re not in the mood for any Jedi business.”_

After hearing how tense Boba’s voice was, Edaan yelled up to Akku, “Take it away, Akku!”

 

“Roger that, boss!” Akku yelled back. Turning on the ship’s comm, he said into _Slave One_ , “ _Su cuy'gar, Manda’lor._ This is copilot Akku Sei of the _Second Chance_ , requesting clearance to Keldabe, so my friend can discuss a mutually beneficial arrangement between us.”

 

“ _Su'cuy, Akku. I see you’re still alive, old soldier_.” Boba replied, the hostility in his voice gone, replaced by his usual businesslike tone.

 

‘Nice to hear from you, too, Fett.” Akku colloquially replied. “So, can we and my boys land, or not?”

 

“ _I’ll guide you down myself. The manda knows that we need all the help we can get right now. You can land just outside Keldabe at your usual spot. Fett out.”_ Fett curtly said as he ended the transmission.

 

“That’s funny, I never pictured Fett as a believer in the _Manda_.” Edaan thoughtfully said as he equipped a blaster to his side holster of his civilian garb, now in his cabin.

 

“Neither did I.” Akku said. “He must be a recent convert. So, how are we going to approach Fett?” he asked.

 

“Simple.” Edaan said. “We approach him with all of our strength, request a meeting with him and his key advisors, and put all of our cards on the table. It’s our best shot at getting his aid in finding where Vestara is.”

 

“Well, at least you’ve thought this out.” Robonino sarcastically said from outside the cabin.

 

“I like to try to cover all of my bases, Robo. It’s the best way to make sure any plan can work.” Edaan replied. “Now, what do you say that we get started?” He said as he and the rest of his crew approached the ramp, which quickly opened, and the crew disembarked to meet one hundred Mandalorians pointing various blasters at them.

 

In front of them all, Boba Fett stood with his arms crossed, saying “You never said anything about a Jedi being involved in this. Especially the great-great-grandson of Emperor Palpatine.”

 

After blinking his eyes once, Akku composed himself and said, “It’s alright, boss, this Jedi is the one who saved my crew and put his mission on Anzat at risk. He can be trusted.”

 

“We’ll see.” Boba Fett said, not betraying any emotion.

 

“You’re hostility is understood Fett, but isn’t necessary. I believe that we can help each other.”

 

“What kind of help?” Fett cautiously asked.

 

“The kind that rids both of our people of thorns in each of our sides. We can discuss this aboard the _Second Chance_ , where our enemies won’t be able to hear what we’re saying. You’re more than free to bring Gotab, Venku, Goran, and Ghes Orade to the meeting if you wish, _Manda’lor_.” Edaan said, surprising many of Fett’s Mandalorians with his use of _Mando’a_ in the last sentence.

 

After a minute of mulling things over, Fett agreed, and called Venku, Goran, and Ghes Orade over from the crowd, and an aging Venku said with a hint of venom in his voice, “Gotab is dead. He passed on into the _manda_ two years ago after healing several of our most critically injured soldiers. But of course, the Jedi couldn’t be bothered by his death, not even the Galactic Empress Jaina Solo Fel.”

 

Edaan briefly sagged at hearing the news before saying “I’m sorry, Venku. I know he was a better man than most, including myself. Jaina told me all about him before she left the order to found the Imperial Knights.”

 

“Well, at least you’re courteous enough to admit it.” Goran Beviin said. “Maybe you’re not so bad.” He continued with sarcasm lacing his voice.

 

“Believe me, I’ve suffered worse insults than what you’re dishing out right now.” Edaan stoically replied, wanting to move things along. “Let’s go onto the ship and get down to business, because we have much to discuss.”

 

Fett agreed, and motioned for the three of his advisors to follow him onto the _Second Chance_.

 

As they moved onto the ship, Edaan silently prayed to the force that it would guide him, as he didn’t know if they would care for what he wanted to say.

 

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as more will be coming soon. In the meantime, I’d brush up on your _Mando’a_ , as I’ll try to include as much of it as I can. I hope come back, as the next chapter will have a lot of dialogue, and background information into the current war. May the Force be with You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	3. Chapter 2

**What’s going on, Star Wars lovers? What are you doing right now? That’s a rhetorical question, by the way. Anyway, if you’ve stayed with me for this long, then good for you. If you’re just tuning in, then welcome, and enjoy.**

_Onboard the_ Second Chance _on the Planet Mandalore, Just Outside the city of Keldabe_

As Boba Fett and Edaan Palpatine sat at where the dejarik table was, Boba said, “You said you wanted to talk, so talk.”

 

“First of all, thank you for agreeing to hear what I have to say. I wasn’t sure if you would agree to meet me.” Edaan replied.

 

“Akku said you were here to make me an offer, and since he’s an accomplished Mandalorian, and he trusts you, I’m willing to hear you out, even though you’re a Jedi. If it proves to be a waste of my time, then I’ll just order you off the planet, since I’m still the _Mand’alor_ , and the Neo Death Watch is moving in on all fronts.” Boba said.

 

“Noted.” Edaan curtly said. “Anyway, I have an intelligence report on covert Neo Death Watch troop movements and weapons shipments that are occurring in the cities of Keldabe and Sundari. If you move within the next three days, you can intercept them and deal a blow to your enemies.”

 

Finally speaking, Ghes Orade said, “That can’t be the only reason a Jedi has come here. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from dealings with people, they always have an ulterior motive. And that especially includes Jedi.” recalling how Jaina Solo came seeking Boba Fett’s aid in hunting down her fallen brother, Jacen Solo/Darth Caedus.

 

“Very astute, Ghes Orade. And you’re right, I do have another motive for coming here.” Edaan said, before continuing, saying, “I’m hunting a Sith Lady by the name of Vestara Khai, who goes by the name of ‘Savara Raine’ in the underworld. I have good reason to believe that she’s somewhere in the system. And before anyone here ask, the Jedi Council does not officially sanction my mission, I’m here under my own volition.”

 

Fett raised his helmet, saying, “Keep talking.”

 

Before continuing, Edaan asked Fett, “I assume that Venku told you about his heritage?” After receiving a brief nod from Beviin, he continued, saying, “I came here because I had a series of visions. Visions that I believe that, if left unchecked, could destroy the galaxy as we know it.”

 

Every Mandalorian except Fett raised their eyebrows at this, and Venku said, “Explain.”

 

“I saw several water planets and moons die from poison, and the Mon Calamari were hunted and brought to the brink of extinction on Dac. I saw millions of Sith rule the galaxy, and a Yuuzhan Vong-like Sith leading all of them. And amongst it all, I saw Vestara Khai in the center of it all. I believe that Vesatra Khai is the key to stopping all of that.” Edaan explained, his tone completely grim serious.

 

After a minute of absorbing all of what Edaan just said, Boba asked, “What does this have to do with us?”

 

Expecting this reaction, Edaan continued, saying “One of Azzim Anjilic Atirue’s agents on the planet saw a ship matching the Sith meditation sphere that Vestara uses orbiting the moon of Concordia. If Vestara isn’t here now, then she was very recently, and I want to pick up the trail before it goes cold.”

 

In response to the one who gave Edaan the intel, Goran asked, “Azzim the Hutt just gave you this intel? Free of charge?” clearly surprised that a major Hutt lord would give away such information to a Jedi.

 

“Of course, Goran. He and I are old pals. I also have the backing of two Black Sun vigos and the resources of a dead third, the entire Hutt Grand Council, several crime lords based around Ord Mantell, and the followers and resources of the soon-to-be-dead Xasha Xizor. Oh, and I have the intelligence network of the Jedi Order at your disposal, in case anyone was wondering.” Edaan replied in a tone that befitted talking about the weather with an old friend.

 

“Are the Jedi going to come here in force?” Boba asked.

 

“Not if I send them regular reports. Of course, while I’m here, Beviin, or someone else that you trust, can review any messages that I send in order to ensure that they don’t compromise your efforts to restoring control of your people.” Edaan explained.

 

“And what do I get if I help you, Jedi?” Boba Fett asked. Edaan could sense that he was getting interested in this conversation, which was a good sign that he would agree to his deal.

 

“You can get the aid of all the Mandalorians at my disposal, which is around five hundred and thirty. The hutts can smuggle in weapons, supplies, and fighters into the system for your use. And, you’ll get the aid of all of the intelligence on Neo Death Watch that the Jedi and my agents can acquire.” Edaan said, and everyone present, except Fett and Akku looked shocked at his promises.

 

“Uh, boss, are you sure that you can commit to that?” Robonino nervously asked.

 

“Yeah. I thought that we were just going after Vestara.” Jarael said.

 

“Trust me, guys. This is the best way that everyone here can get what they want.” Edaan assured his friends. “So, what do you say, _Mand’alor?_ Are you in, or not?” he asked Boba.

 

Boba subtly turned his head to his advisors, who, one after another, after a minute of considering his offer, told Fett to take the offer, saying that this was a deal that they couldn’t afford to waste. He said, “One last question. How do you intend to redeem Vestara if you manage to find her?”

 

Edaan only smiled at Boba Fett’s question, and stated, “I have three secret weapons against her that I’d prefer not to disclose.

 

“You have a deal, Jedi. But let’s get one thing straight. While you’re in Mandalorian Space, you do what I say, when I say it. If you send one intelligence report that I don’t like, make one wrong move, then all bets are off.”

 

“Fair enough, Fett. Oh, and we shouldn’t announce that the Jedi are aiding you, given our peoples’ history together, so you should probably just call me ‘Edaan’.” Edaan replied.

 

“A Jedi with actual wisdom. What will the _manda_ think of next?” Venku sarcastically asked.

 

“How about durasteel-plated rancors that only obey us?” Edaan jokingly asked, earning a few chuckles from everyone except Boba.

 

“Now, then, everyone, what do you say we get this… shadow alliance underway. Hey, that’s not a bad name for my organization.” Edaan said as he and Fett rose from the table to inform their soldiers of their confidential arrangement.

 

**Well, guys, tell me what you thought of this chapter. And, before you ask, I know that I would offer background information about the civil war going on, but then this chapter would have gone on for too long, and I don’t want my chapters to be any longer than 2,000 words. Anyway, enjoy, review, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	4. Chapter 3

**What’s up, Star Wars fans? How are you doing as the end of another day fast approaches? Let me know in reviews or emails. Anyway, I promised you a background into the Second Mandalorian Civil War (yes, that’s what I’m calling this war), and I intend to deliver, whatever it takes (not really, but I’m just trying to emphasize how intent I am on fulfilling my promise)! Let’s get to the story.**

“So, how did this civil war come to be, guys? Akku’s been out of touch from the mainstream Mandalorian society for the last few years, so neither him nor any of his men can tell me much.” Edaan asked any of the Mandalorians that weren’t part of his newly named organization, the Shadow Alliance.

 

“ _It’s… difficult to explain_.” Ghes Orade said over the comlink on Slave I. “ _The war truly began eight years ago, when Mirta Gev returned to the planet, along with Belok Rhal_.” He practically spat both names out, which surprised Edaan, since Mirta was Ghes’s wife. He knew that Mirta, who was Boba Fett’s granddaughter, and Boba Fett weren’t on the best of terms, from what Jaina told him, but he didn’t know their relationship had deteriorated this badly.

 

Ghes continued, saying, “ _Sav- I mean, Vestara, somehow broke Belok out of prison on Blaudu Saxtus, earning his and his followers’ undying loyalty as a result. And several Sith stole Mand’alor’s inoculation for the FG36 nanovirus, who were likely working for Vestara as well. Together, the two of them called for Mand’alor to step down, deeming him weak for aiding the Jedi during the Lost Tribe of the Sith’s emergence, and for not taking the fight to them while the public was turned against them, especially on Coruscant_.”

 

“Forgive me if I sound ignorant, but why are so many Mandalorians following the two of them? From what I’ve heard over the years, they haven’t exactly been ideal mercenaries to emulate.” Edaan inquired, his curiosity piqued.

 

“ _It’s not just them they’re following, but Natasi Daala as well_.” Edaan’s eyes opened wide at hearing her name, as Ghes went on. “ _She came to their aid a year later, and together, the three of them and their followers formed the nucleus of the Neo Death Watch movement. They quickly gained followers by the thousands, since they were intent on getting revenge against the Jedi and galaxy for persecuting them over the last few millennia_.”

 

“Both sides have committed many atrocities over the years, but trying to conquer the galaxy will do no one any favors. So many organizations have tried and failed, it only makes the galaxy weaker for our true enemy, the Sith. And before you say anything, Fett, Mandalorians and Jedi have worked together in the distant past, like during Mandalore the Preserver’s rule during the Sith Civil War.” Edaan told Ghes.

 

Fett didn’t say anything, which Edaan took as a good sign that he was considering his words. Edaan continued, saying, “So, let me make an educated guess. The reason why so many of your people are following Daala because they remembered how good they had it when she was Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance.”

 

“ _You guessed it, Edaan_.” Goran said, slightly impressed with the Jedi’s deductive reasoning. “ _We were racking in the credits while she was in charge. Of course, we’ve found other means to make money, but many mandos haven’t forgotten how the Jedi removed our best source of income_.”

 

“At the expense of the lives of so many slaves fighting for their freedom. And Venku, aren’t you the one who wanted Mandalore to not be a tool of any _aruetii_ governmet?” Edaan retorted, not wanting the Jedi to take all of the blame for the current situation.

 

“ _Fair enough_.” Venku stoically replied.

 

“So, how did the fighting start four years ago?” Edaan asked, not wanting to get bogged down in a historical argument.

 

“ _We uncovered evidence that the Neo Death Watch was preparing for war on us, so we decided to preempt them, and attacked their main base on Concordia_.” Ghes said. “ _Everything’s gone downhill since then. All across Mandalorian Space, our people have been killing each other by the thousands. It’s only groups like Akku’s that have stayed out of the fighting due to their disapproval over the war, and they had contracts to complete._ ”

 

“Okay.” Edaan said, with one question that’s still nagging at the back of his mind. “So, why hasn’t Roche come to your aid? I thought that your worlds’ had a mutual-defense arrangement from sixteen years ago.”

 

“ _We still do, but Roche is in no position to give us more than credits and ships, what with their warrior caste still recovering from the Ceadus’s use of a nanokiller virus_.” Goran explained.

 

“Right, I’d forgotten about that.” Edaan said as he smacked his forehead in aggravation over forgetting that heinous crime. _Just one more thing for the Jedi to be held accountable for._ He lamented, remembering how he learned about how much damage that so many fallen Jedi have done to the galaxy over the millennia. “So, anything else that I should know before we get to your base?”

 

“No, Edaan. You’ve heard the basics of our war. Now let’s see if you can contribute what you promised when we get to Kyrimorut.” Boba said, speaking for the first time since they created their alliance.

 

“Don’t worry, Fett. I’m a man of my word. You’ll see soon enough.” Edaan attempted to assure Fett.

 

“We’ll see what good a Jedi’s word is worth.” Fett stoically replied, even though he remembered Kubariet, one of the only two Jedi that he actually respected, that he met during the Yuuzhan Vong War, as they came within sight of Kyrimorut.

 

 _May the force be with us._ Edaan thought as he helped land the _Second Chance_ within a secret landing bay.

 

**Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as soon, the action will start to kick into overdrive (I really hope I used that expression correctly.). Oh, and before anyone asks, the events at Roche, and the base called Kyrimorut, are real. You can learn about them in Troy Denning’s _Legacy of the Force: Invincible_ , and Karen Traviss’s Republic Commando and Imperial Commando series, respectively. And, by the way, there are going to be way more Mandos in this story than just those listed in the Dramatis Personae. **

 


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello, everyone. How are you doing on such a windy day? I’m doing fine, thanks for asking. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a letter or review. I’ll do my best to answer them without giving too much of the story away. Anyway, lets get on with the story.**

_Day 10 of the Shadow Alliance’s formation_

_Ten Days Later, at Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

Edaan had just finished going over the letter that he was going to send to Azzim the Hutt, who would then seed the letter to the Jedi Council, in order to ensure that no Neo Death Watch or Sith forces would intercept the message. It described how he had made contact with Boba Fett, and would be providing him with assistance in ending the civil war there with his underworld contacts.

 

Of course, he expected the Council to oppose this alliance, believing that such a matter was an internal affair, but he told them of how Vestara Khai aided the Neo Death Watch faction’s formation, which hopefully would be enough to get their tacit support, at the very least.

 

As he prepared to send the letter, Adari came up to him and asked “How’s the letter going, luv?”

 

“Good.” he replied. “I was just about to send it. Why?” he asked, suddenly suspicious of her reasons for coming to him at the moment he was about to send the message.

 

“I was just wondering if it showed how crazy you are for agreeing to work for _Boba Fett_ , of all people, dear.” Adari replied in a tone that brooked no lying.

 

“Believe me, the prospect doesn’t sit well with me either. But I think the Force is telling me that we’ll need his help by the time our time here ends.” Edaan said.

 

“Why? He doesn’t care for the Jedi, and that’s who we work for, in case you’ve forgotten.” Adari asked.

 

“I know, but he is the _Mand’alor_ , which means that he’ll go to great lengths to protect his people. Besides, according to what Jaina Solo Fel told me, he allied with a Jedi by the name of Kubariet during the Yuuzhan Vong War in order to give intelligence to their side. And, he has a strict moral code that he never breaks, which means he won’t go back on his word. Well, as long as we do what he says.” Edaan explained to Adari, who only grew more uncertain with every word said.

 

“And what happens when the rest of the Mandalorians find out that Fett has allied with a Jedi? They’ll probably either skin us alive, desert Fett in droves when they find out, or both.” Adari said, still unconvinced by her boyfriend’s words.

 

“Hopefully, by that point, they’ll have come to respect us enough to look past our affiliations with the Jedi, and treat us as honorary Mandalorians.” Edaan replied. “And no, dear, I have no intention of leaving the order.” he continued.

 

“Good. Because then I would be obligated to follow you out of love, and that would not go over well with all of the friends that I’ve made in the order.” Adari said.

 

“Don’t worry. Like I said, I’m not leaving the Order. I owe them everything for taking me in before my parents died during the Lost Tribe’s invasion of Coruscant.” Edaan said, fondly remembering his parents, Cosinga and Selene Palpatine, who were simple businesspeople trying to make a living in a tough galaxy that persecuted the Palpatine family after their great-grandfather slandered their name by becoming Darth Sidious.

 

“Anyway,” he continued, I’d better send out this message, since Beviin has a mission for us on Mandallia. Something about a recruitment drive to recruit the Mandallian Giants to our side, because up until now, they’ve been neutral in the conflict, and no one has tried to antagonize them. We’re part of the team to stop the Neo Death Watch team from arriving at Mandallia before Fett’s negotiators do.”

 

“I didn’t know that Mandalorians could be negotiators.” Adari said with a silly grin on her face as she said those words.

 

“They’re not.” Edaan assured her. “But the Mandallian Giants respect strength, and once they know that Neo Death Watch has Sith backings, they’ll probably throw their support over to us, since they hate Sith even more than they hate Jedi.”

 

“Will their aid be enough to turn the tide over to Fett’s side?” Adari hopefully asked.

 

“No, but it will be a good step in that direction.” Edaan replied, as he activated his comlink to call the rest of the crew over to the Second Chance, in order to depart for their mission.  

 

_Two Minutes Earlier, At the Base’s briefing hall_

 

“And this is why the Jedi’s going after Vestara?” Fett asked Akku.

 

“Not the only reason, _Manda’lor_ , but it’s a contributing factor. He really does want to redeem Vestara for his master’s sake, as well as the rest of the galaxy. Anyway, this ‘Dragon Lord’ is powerful enough on his own, being able to take on Abeloth with just Luke Skywalker’s help. But if he has formed an alliance with Vestara Khai, her remaining Sith, and various forces in the galactic underworld, then we cannot afford to ignore him.” Akku calmly explained. A part of him felt guilty for betraying his friend, but Boba Fett was the _Manda’lor_ , and deserved his loyalty the same way that Edaan already has his.

 

“Well, if what you say is true, we may have to consider allying ourselves with the Jedi in order to counter the Sith’s shadow involvement. And that won’t go over well with a lot of the _Mando'ad_.” Fett grimly said.

 

“I know, _Manda’lor_ , but let’s see if we can’t win this war with Edaan’s help first. We don’t want to lose anymore of our brothers and sisters to Daala and her followers.” Akku urged his leader, not wanting to kill anymore of his mandalorian brethren then necessary.

 

“Agreed.” Fett acquiesced, just as Akku’s comlink beeped, Edaan’s voice coming through, saying, “ _Alright everyone. Grab your gear and weapons and head for the_ Second Chance _. We’re heading out for Mandallia.”_

 

The comlink deactivated after that, and Fett reached out to grab Akku’s forearm in a warrior fashion, which Akku quickly reciprocated. “ _Vor'e._ ” Fett said, appreciating the information that Akku gave him.

 

“You’re welcome, _Manda’lor_. See you when we get back.” Akku said as he made his way to the _Second Chance_. He would tell Edaan what he’d done when the time was right, and he hoped that Edaan would understand what he had done.

 

**Well that was bracing. Don’t worry; Akku is still loyal to Edaan. He just feels an obligation to tell Boba Fett, his cultural leader, the full truth of Edaan’s mission. Whether this will affect the alliance between the two of them is a matter for another time, but rest assured, Fett will give the matter some serious thought. After all, if Fett has learned anything in his 87.5 years, it’s to always consider every option, no matter how drastic it might seem. Oh, and by the way, the year in the galactic timeline is 56 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin) now. As always, enjoy, review, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello, everyone. Sorry if I’m late, I had an essay to start writing for community college. Anyway, I’m here now, so let’s get started on the next chapter of _Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War: Alpha_. Enjoy!**

_Day 15 of the Shadow Alliance’s formation_

_Mandallia, in the capital city of Lextor._

 

“So, it’s agreed. When _Manda’lor_ calls for your aid, you’ll answer.” Edaan said, only receiving an approving grunt from the closest member of the Mandallian council.

 

“Excellent. Thank you for your time.” Sintas Vel said as she quickly made her way to her ship, with Edaan and his crew in hot pursuit of her. Being part of her security detail, they were eager to escort her safely back to Kyrimorut, especially since she was Boba Fett’s ex-wife. If anything happened to her, Fett would skin everyone who was supposed to watch over her, and that was a fate that no one, Jedi, Mandalorian, mercenary, or refugee wanted to suffer.

 

“Well, that went well. Right, ma’am?” Edaan asked, not wanting to offend Sintas in any way.

 

“More or less. And, by the way, you can call me Sintas.” She replied. “Oh, and nice work eliminating that Neo Death Watch team that threatened to assassinate the head councilor.” She complimented Edaan and his team.

 

“Thanks. Good job beating their champion in a single combat match.” Edaan said, not wanting to be outdone at anything by a Mandalorian, knowing how competitive they were.

 

“You’re alright, Jedi. I’ll be sure to tell Bo how well you performed on this mission.” Sintas said, receiving approving nods from the six Mandalorians that made up the rest of Sintas’s security detail, which drew a pleasing grin from Edaan and his crew.

 

 _Looks like I’m making progress with the Mandalorians._ Edaan gratefully thought as the two security teams and Sintas went to their respective ships to report the success of their mission to Boba Fett.

 

_Meanwhile, on Shedu Maad, in the Jedi High Council chambers_

 

Luke Skywalker was concerned, which wasn’t anything new, but the last intelligence report from Edaan Palpatine was disturbing. He knew that there was a civil war on Mandalore from the holonet news at Mos Eisley while he was in semi-retirement, but he didn’t know about the possible Sith involvement there. That was why the latest Jedi Council meeting was taking place at this second, with Ben Skywalker, Han Solo, Jaina Solo Fel, and the rest of the council attending.

 

“We can’t let this go unpunished!” Han Solo was saying. “Mirta Gev, Vestara Khai, Belok Rhal, and Natasi Daala have each committed many heinous crimes against civilization. We have to take action against this ‘Neo Death Watch’ organization now, before the mandos’ civil war spreads throughout the rest of the galaxy.”

 

“Han, we’ve been over this. We can’t come in by force unless Boba Fett agrees to it, and we all know that’s unlikely, given the last time we worked with him.” Leia said, recalling how many Mandalorians died during the Second Battle of Roche because of Luke’s decision to sacrifice them to give Jaina a shot at killing her brother. “So, for now, we have to put our trust in Edaan and his ‘Shadow Alliance.’”

 

“I still don’t like it.” Tionne Solusar said. “Remember the last time that an organization with the word ‘Shadow’ was founded? It resulted in the death of Mandalorian leader Duchess Satine Kryze, and the fall of her New Mandalorian faction, due to the actions of a possessed Savage Oppress.”

 

“We can’t immediately compare the two, Tionne.” Kyle Katarn calmly said. “After all, from the two reports that we’ve received from Edaan, and the spies that we have in Boba Fett’s camp, he seems to be perfectly in tune with the light side of the force.”

 

“We can’t just rely on the reports of spies and a loose cannon. We need to see the situation firsthand in order to determine what response to take.” Barratk’l said, not convinced by what the current Jedi Grand Master said.

 

“No.” Luke said, finally speaking for the first time since the meeting began.

 

“What do you mean, Uncle Luke?” Jaina asked, curious as to what her uncle would say.

 

“The council agreed to let Edaan pursue Vestara Khai. If he said that allying himself with Boba Fett is the best way to continue that goal, then we have to trust in Knight Palpatine that he’ll contact us if things on Mandalore get out of hand.” Luke said, much to the shock of everyone except Kam Solusar, Corran Horn, Kyle Katarn, and Kyp Durron.

“Forgive me, Luke, but are you sure this is the best course of action?” Cighal asked, not believing what she was hearing, but respected Luke too much to openly criticize him in front of the rest of the council.

 

“No, but this is the best way to capture Vestara and put her on trial for her transgressions.” Luke replied, before continuing, saying “We all agreed on this plan. Now we have to believe in our brave knight, or we don’t deserve to call ourselves ‘Jedi Masters.’”

 

“What do you mean, Dad?” Ben asked, still frustrated over the council’s divisiveness, but hopeful for decisive action before it was too late.

 

“If we can’t trust our Jedi Knights to complete their missions, even ones that we didn’t authorize, then the order will stagnate and eventually collapse when we all die. We have to trust that our knights will do the right thing, or we’re no better than the Sith.” Luke explained.

 

“Yes, but most of the Jedi Knights have never done anything this drastic or radical, even during the Yuuzhan Vong War.” Jaina said, recalling how well her newly formed Imperial Knights took to their studies and duties.

 

“Come on, Empress.” Kyp said teasingly. “Haven’t we all gone through a rebellion growing up?” he continued, remembering Jaina’s brush with the dark side during the Hapes Crisis during the Yuuzhan Vong War, and how he helped pull her from the brink before it was too late.

 

“Don’t make light of the issue, Kyp.” Jaina said as a wistful smile came to her face as she remembered her teenage years, and all of the adventures that she and her brothers had before and during the Yuuzhan Vong War.

 

“It sounds like you have an opinion to share, Kyp.” Corran said.

 

“Personally, I see a lot of Anakin Solo in Edaan. They two of them are smart, courageous, and charismatic. Not to mention that they’re both deep thinkers.” Kyp replied in a flippant tone, annoying some of the people present, but amusing others.

 

“So, you think this is Edaan’s Yavin IV?” Han asked, remembering how he heard of his late son’s quest to Yavin IV to rescue the Jedi Praxeum students trapped their by members of the Yuuzhan Vong’s collaboraors, the Peace Brigade, and his actions there started the Jeedai Heresey as a result, which still had lasting repercussions even today.

 

“Something like that. My point is, we can’t stop Edaan from trying to redeem Vestara, so the best thing we can do is support him in order to keep an eye on him.” Kyp continued. The rest of the council began to be swayed by his words. Luke smiled as a result, proud of how far his former apprentice had come as a Jedi Master and as a person.

 

“Master Durron is right. I’ve been meditating a lot these past few months, and I think that the force is telling us to wait and see what Edaan can accomplish on his own before we can commit to anything. After all, he took down Xasha Xizor and upset Black Sun’s balance of power, each near impossible tasks on their own, but infeasible for one Jedi.”

 

Ben saw his father’s point, but he still felt uneasy about Edaan going after Vestara on his own, remembering all of the heinous crimes that she had committed. He tried to remind himself that he had moved on, but the words never stuck inside of his mind.

 

A small part of Ben’s mind said, _You still love her, and you want Edaan to succeed in redeeming her,_ which he quickly quashed that thought, not wanting anyone to pick up the conflict going on in his mind. As the other masters and everyone else present moved on to the next issue, only Leia seemed to pick up on her nephew’s distress, and made a note to do something about it.

 

_Two Hours Later, on Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

 

“Good job. Both of you.” Goran Beviin said to Edaan and Sintas. “When the time comes, we’ll call in on the Mandallian Council to aid us in ending the civil war. In the meantime, Edaan your hutt allies are starting to come through. We’re getting two hundred fighters of various affiliation, four Imperial Light Cruisers, three Tartan-class patrol cruisers, and a million credits. We can put those to good use.” Goran continued.

 

“Glad to see that my allies are coming through.” Edaan said.

 

“Don’t get too comfortable, Edaan. You still have a long way to go before you’ve earned our trust.” Goran warned.

 

“I know.” Edaan replied.

 

As Sintas exited the room, Edaan quickly followed, catching up to her within a few seconds. “Hey. I wanted to talk to you about something. Can we talk onboard the _Second Chance_?” he asked.

 

“About what?” Sintas inquired.

 

“Your granddaughter, Mirta Gev.” Edaan asked in a dead-serious tone.

 

**And that’s a wrap on this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the _The Clone Wars_ references in the story, as well as the interactions between the characters. Rest assured, there will be action soon, but I need to maneuver all of the game pieces into position (if you know what I mean) before the true war can begin. If you have any questions for me, feel free to review or email me, and I’ll try to respond. Have a good night, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello, everyone. Sorry I’m late. I had to continue working on my essay that I mentioned in my last chapter. Anyway, just a head-up, this story, and hopefully the rest of my stories, will have plenty of _Star Wars: The Clone Wars_ and _Star Wars: Rebels_ references, as I want to merge the two timelines together as best as I can, so I can justify getting more Star Wars content, even if it isn’t officially EU content. **

 

“Why do you want to know about Mirta?” Sintas asked, all playfulness in her tone leaving her voice at the mention of her estranged granddaughter.

 

“Because, as the wise former Jedi Ahsoka Tano once said, ‘To defeat your enemy, you need to understand them.’ And I could easily ask Beviin or Venku about her, but besides Fett, your… late daughter, Ailyn Vel, and Ghes, you knew her better than anyone else. And I doubt Fett or Ghes would tell me about her, given their… relationship with her. Also, out of all the Mandalorians that I’ve met here so far, you’re easily the most friendly and accessible.” Edaan explained.

 

After considering the matter for five minutes, Sintas relented, following Edaan to the _Second Chance_ ’s cockpit, where they would be undisturbed, as the rest of his crew was off performing different tasks all over Kyrimorut.

 

“Well, what do you want to know about Mirta?” Sintas asked, slightly curious about what Edaan was after.

 

“What was she like when you were in contact with her?” he began.

 

“Well, she was strong, loyal, and a very honorable woman. She looked after her comrades, and was friendly with Jaina.” Sintas honestly replied.

 

“So what changed? Was it her loyalty to Vestara that caused her to betray you guys, or something else?” Edaan continued.

 

After taking a deep breath and loudly sighing, Sintas continued, saying, “Mirta believed that Bo abandoned Mirta to a suicide mission to take out the Moff Council during the Second Battle of Roche. She was tortured by Ceadus for a while before Jaina rescued her, and she was never the same ever since. She became colder than she used to be, and drifted away from everyone, even Ghes. Of course, now we know that she was working for Vestara, and she won her undying loyalty as a result of getting her home.”

 

“I see.” was all that Edaan said after a moment to absorb what he just heard before continuing, saying, “Look, the reason that I’m asking this is because… I want to help you bring her back.” eliciting a gasp from Sintas who sharply turned her head to face Edaan with a look of bewilderment and dismay.

 

“Why?” was all that she said.

 

Edaan shrugged before saying, “I know what it’s like to be hurt by the Sith. If I can help heal some of the scars left by one of them, then I have to try and help.”

 

“What do you mean?” Sintas asked.

 

“Well, you no doubt know that my great-great-grandfather is Sheev Palpatine, better known as Darth Sidious, so I know what it’s like to have a shadow looming over your head.” Edaan began, eliciting a knowing nod from Sintas, before continuing, saying, “Well, during the brief reign of Darth Caedus, when I was four years old, I felt all of the anguish and pain that he inflicted on Coruscant and ran away from my home to the underworld in order to try and escape it. It was there that I discovered my force sensitivity, and where I met Vua. He told me of the Jedi’s heroism during the Yuuzhan Vong War, and yes, the Mandalorians did more than their fair share of ending the war than much of the New Republic did, so don’t think that I’m playing favorites.”

 

“I wasn’t thinking that.” Sintas protested.

 

“It was then that I decided to become a Jedi. It took my parents three years to become convinced that I needed the training to master my… unique talents, for lack of a better word. Don’t ask what they are, because I have a feeling that you’ll find out soon enough.”

 

“Alright.” Sintas said, slightly curious as to what his supposed gifts are, but respecting his privacy enough not to pry.

 

“Anyway, I learned all that I could while I was with the Jedi about, tactics, strategy, diplomacy, and so on so that when I decided to go after Vestara Khai, I would have all of the tools that I need to have a shot at saving her.” Edaan continued, briefly paused, considering his next words carefully.

 

He then said, “As to why I’m want to help Mirta, well, I see a little of Vestara in her. Both are strong women that have gotten pretty raw deals in life, what with their parents being killed one way or another, and were partially victims of circumstances beyond their control. The rest was mostly their fault, but I believe that both of them still have a shot at making the right choice.”

 

“You’ve given this a lot of thought, haven’t you, Edaan?” Sintas asked.

 

“I have, indeed. And I want you to help me save Mirta.” Edaan calmly said.

 

“Why me? Why not Ghes?” Sintas asked, incredulous as to his declaration.

 

“Ghes can be included once I’ve gotten to know him better. For now, let’s just keep this between us. I don’t want anyone to find out and report it to Fett or Neo Death Watch.”

 

“Agreed, master. That would be counterproductive to your plans.” A digital voice said, surprising both Sintas and Edaan, who both turned around to see R2-D2 standing behind them.

 

“Artoo, how long have you been standing there?” A shocked Edaan asked.

 

“The past three minutes, master. I heard voices, and came to investigate. I learned a surprising amount of data from the two of you, and it was quite informative.” Artoo replied in basic.

 

“Alright, Artoo. Next time, let us know when you’re nearby. And keep what you heard to yourself until I say otherwise. “ Edaan gently ordered Artoo.

 

“Of course, master.” Artoo courteously replied before rolling away, with Sinats looking at the droid with a face full of amusement.

 

She then said, “That droid has quite the personality.”

 

“I know. It’s what makes him such a good friend.” Edaan replied.

 

“Well, I’d better be of before anyone else misses me. Good talk, Edaan.” Sintas said, rising from her cockpit seat as she turned to leave.

 

“Likewise, Sintas.” Edaan said, preparing to report to Ghes Orade for weapons training in Mandalorian equipment.

 

**Well, that chapter was informative. And before anyone says anything, yes, I included Ahsoka Tano as Anakin’s apprentince, but just for the last few months of the Clone War, as she left the Jedi order after a brainwashed Barriss Offee (who still suffered from the residual effects of the Geonosian Brain Worms before being cured by the Jedi healers) bombed the Jedi Temple and pinned it on her. I’m still mostly sticking to the original timeline. If you have any questions over my interpretation over the events of the Clone War, feel free to email me or review my story. Have a good night, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	8. Chapter 7

**Hello, everyone. Sorry it took me longer to write this chapter than normal, but I had schoolwork to worry about. It was quite a hassle. But enough about me. Let’s get on with the story.**

 

 _Aim, then fire._ Edaan reminded himself, remembering the lessons that his teachers at Shedu Maad drilled into him over and over again as he shot down another two Mandalorians.

 

“That’s eight.” Ghes said to himself, slightly impressed by the accuracy that the young Jedi was displaying in Kyrimorut’s training dome. _Of course, he does have the force on his side._ he reminded himself as Edaan stunned another Mandalorian. He hadn’t seen another warrior of that caliber since the last time he saw Jaina before she became Galactic Empress, and she was much more experienced than his newest charge.

 

 _Maybe he’ll surpass her._ He thought as Edaan reached the end of the training course, ending the exercise. Before he left the course, he helped his training partners up and thanked them for going all-out against him. Ghes vaguely heard some words being said in Mando’a that meant “Good Job” and “Not bad, Jedi.” _Hm. Maybe this Jedi’s not so bad._ He thought as he made his way down from the top of the training dome.

 

Once Ghes walked down all of the steps to the ground floor, he saw a stoic Edaan waiting for him, awaiting an evaluation on what he did wrong. _Still just a kid._ He idly thought as he approached the young man. As soon as they were facing each other, he asked, “Why did you ask me to teach you our fighting styles, again?”

 

“Well, the Mandalorians under Vestara’s command have no doubt taught her all they know about their combat styles and techniques. So, in order to level the playing field for when I go up against her, I figured that I could learn at least as much as she now knows.” Edaan calmly replied.

 

“Reasonable logic, but you’d need to capture one of her officers in order to determine how much that she’s learned.” Ghes reminded his latest charge.

 

“True, but at least I’ll be on even footing when we confront your misguided clan mates.” Edaan countered.

 

“I guess.” Ghes said, not fully convinced by Edaan’ss words, but willing to let him try to learn the ways of the Mandalorian warriors.

 

“Look at it this way, Ghes. At least I’m making good use of my time in-between missions by learning some of your special skills, and by making comrades out of your soldiers.” Edaan said.

 

“Just don’t try to convert them to your cause, Edaan.” Ghes warned the Jedi in front of him. “Otherwise, _Mand’alor_ will skin me alive for losing some good soldiers.”

 

“Yeah, he can be a real firefek sometimes. But I think that deep down, he’s a decent man that’s been hurt a lot, so he hides his emotions deep down to avoid getting hurt again.” Edaan told Ghes, who looked to be considering his words.

 

“You’re probably right. Just don’t let anyone else catch you saying that, or they’ll give both of us a hard time for questioning the _Mand’alor’s_ mental stability.” Ghes told his newest student.

 

“True enough, Ghes.” Edaan said, considering whether or not to include Ghes in his newest club. “Listen… what if I told you that… I could get Mirta back onto our side for us?”

 

At the mention of Mirta’s name, Ghes’s face took on a look that was simultaneously sad and angry as he said “What do you mean?”

 

“Well, I talked to Sintas, and she told me all about Mirta before she basically became _dar’manda_ by joining Neo Death Watch.” Edaan began, before Ghes interrupted, saying, “Sinats told you of her granddaughter?!”

 

“Yes.” Edaan continued. “I think that there’s a slim chance that we can get her back on our side- and by that, I mean the anti-Sith side- by convincing her that what she’s doing is harmful to the your people.”

 

“And just how do you intend to convince her that she’s in the wrong?” Ghes asked, not believing what he’s hearing.

 

“One, I have a way with people. Two, I can tell her about how the Sith have given the Mandalorians an even harder time than the Jedi have. And yes, I know how badly the Jedi have treated your people in the past, such as during the Mandalorian Excision, which was a bit uncalled for, in my opinion. And third, I can show her how much this war is hurting the Mandalorian people as a whole.” Edaan told Ghes, who was, while impressed with the Jedi’s acknowledgement of how badly both sides treated his people, still had his doubts of this plan.

 

“How do you intend to find her?” Ghes asked.

 

“Azzim and Beviin can work together to find her. After all, Beviin’s basically a savant when it comes to finding people and things, and Azzim has the backing of the Hutt clans at his disposal. I can put Beviin in touch with Azzim if he wishes.” Edaan explained.

 

“And what if you can’t bring her back to us?” Ghes asked, said, not wanting to get his hopes up for nothing.

 

“I won’t fail. One way or another, I have a feeling that she’ll play a key part in ending this civil war.”

 

“At least you’ve thought this out.” Ghes sarcastically said with not an ounce of humor lacing his voice.

 

“It’s not my best plan, I know, but I really want to help you guys out. My parents and siblings were killed by the Sith during their invasion of Coruscant, so I know what it’s like to lose family to evil forces.” Edaan confided in Ghes.

 

“Don’t go looking for a pity hug from me or anything. We’ve all lost something to the Sith and their evil.” Ghes warned.

 

“I know, but I just wanted you to know that... maybe we Jedi and Mandalorians have a few things in common, such as training their people for combat from a young age, adopting orphans to train them, having a tightknit community, and so forth.” Edaan said, eliciting an understanding look from Ghes.

 

Ghes then said, “You’ve got a point, Edaan. Just don’t go spreading your beliefs around. As long as they can do their jobs, we don’t need the troops to think about philosophy and morality.”

 

“Fair enough.” Edaan replied. “So, do you want to help bring Mirta home, or not?” he asked, hoping he said ‘yes’, but expecting a ‘no’ as he extended a hand to Ghes to shake if he agreed.

 

After hesitating, Ghes, wanting Mirta back at his side, agreed, and shook Edaan’s hand. “All right, Edaan, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

 

“Good.” Edaan said, before continuing, saying, “Let’s keep things between you, me, Sintas, and Artoo for now.” Right after Ghes raised his eyebrows at hearing that Atroo knew, and Edaan responded by saying, “Oh, and before you ask, Artoo eavesdropped on my conversation between me and Sintas.”

 

“Can he keep a secret?’ Ghes asked.

 

“Of course he can. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought him along.” Edaan confidently said.

“Well, we’d better get in contact with Azzim and Beviin, so they can coordinate their actions.” he continued.

 

**Well, that was bracing. And, (spoiler alert) Edaan has Meetra Surik’s ability to form bonds with people, as he is a natural-born leader. And Ghes agreeing so quickly is because he wants the war to end, and to get his wife back on the same side, so he doesn’t have to kill her, I’m not saying it will be easy, but Edaan is going to give his all in redeeming Mirta. Of course, if you’ve read my first fanifc, then you know what happens, but not how it happens, so stay tuned for more. Oh, there’s one last thing that I should tell you. My updates may not be as common as I like, due to a small case of writers block, and a number of small things that might get in the way, like all of the books that I have to read. If you have any questions, review or email me. May the force be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe.**

 


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello, my loyal viewers. I’m glad that you’ve stayed with me this long, because soon, we’ll get to see how the enemy lives. In the meantime, let’s get back to how our heroes (and anti-heroes in the form of our Mandalorian allies) are doing in this civil war. Be prepared for another connection between the two Clone Wars timelines and _Star Wars: Rebels_. Oh, and if you don’t know what the Mandalorian terms are, then you can look them up on Wookieepedia. **

_Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

_In the briefing Room_

_Day 19 of the Shadow Alliance’s formation_

 

“So, that’s all you want?” a skeptical Goran Beviin asked Azzim Anjilic Atirue as they concluded their negotiations over the use of the Hutt’s informants to track down the commanders of Neo Death Watch.

 

“ _Indeed, my friend_.” Azzim courteously said. “ _In exchange for your warriors resolving the revolt by the Cult of M’dweshuu in a quick and decisive manner, you will have access to all of the reports on Neo Death Watch’s movements throughout Mandalorian Space, as well as the adjourning sectors. Hopefully, this will aid your side greatly, as I’m afraid that that’s all I can offer you with the contract._ ”

 

“It will suffice.” Boba said. “I’ll dispatch a company of Mandalorians to Kintan at once.”

 

“And I can send a battalion of recruits to aid you. Under your command of course, _Mand’alor_. My troops need some combat experience under their belts, and this exercise is the perfect chance for them to get it.” Edaan added, earning an approving nod from both Venku and Fett, both pleased by the Jedi’s willingness to get his hands dirty, though they would never admit this to anyone.

 

“ _Good! I’ll inform my uncle of this arrangement. You won’t regret it. We’ve collected a sizeable amount of intelligence on Neo Death Watch, and now’s the perfect chance to unload it. Oh, don’t worry. We aren’t selling any intel to your enemies, now that we know that they’re in league with the Sith_.” Azzim assured all those present.

 

“Good. Otherwise, I’d have to hunt you down and kill you and Edaan for double-crossing us.” Boba said without any humor.

 

Azzim chortled in response before closing the link on the holocom.

 

“Well, that went well.” Edaan encouragingly said.

 

“Don’t get carried away, Jedi.” Fett warned. “We’ve got a long way to go before Neo Death Watch is beaten, and you’ve fulfilled your end of the bargain.”

 

“Fair enough.” Edaan said, understanding Fett’s caution. “But at least we’re starting to build healthy alliances with other organizations. That’s key to winning wars.”

 

Despite his wariness of all Jedi as a rule, Fett had to concede that point. _At least this Jedi understands warfare better than most. And he’s willing to follow my orders._ Fett mused before leaving the briefing room to assemble a company that would set out for Kintan.

 

Before Edaan set off to tell his people on Ord Mantell to prepare to work with Fett’s Mandalorians, Goran and Venku called back him over to the briefing table.

 

“Ghes told us of what you’re planning, _Jetii_.” Venku said.

 

“I thought I asked you guys to call me ‘Edaan’.” Edaan reminded the two Mandalorians that were present.

 

“This is serious, _Jetii_. Mirta Gev is a _aruetii_ who betrayed the _Resol’nare_ by abandoning _Mand’alor_ when he came under attack. She’s been rumored to execute any of her followers that don’t meet her expectations.” Goran said.

 

“Okay, guys, Mirta might be a _sleemo_ right now, but I’m pretty sure that murdering people in cold blood is Belok Rhal’s gimmick, not Mirta’s.” Edaan nonchalantly said.

 

“Stop beating around the issue, Edaan!” Goran shouted, which Edaan found uncharacteristic about him, considering him the most levelheaded Mandalorian he had ever met, next to Akku, of course.

 

Goran then continued, saying, “Mirta’s not the person you might have heard of from Jaina anymore. She’s a sadistic monster, who only cares about serving her master, Vestara Khai. Why Ghes agreed to help you ‘save’ her is beyond me, _Mir’osik_.”

 

“Well, guys, maybe it’s because I’ve seen enough families destroyed by evil forces, including the Sith and galactic criminals, that if I see a chance to save at least one family, then I have to take that chance.” Edaan passionately said, even though he knew that it didn’t convince anyone present.

 

“Is that it? Or is it a practice test to see if you can save Vestara Khai from herself?” Venku accusingly said.

 

“A little of both.” Edaan sheepishly admitted, earning a couple of sneers from both Mandalorians.

 

“At least you’re honest, and not putting everything on ‘the Will of the Force.’ That’s what convinced the old Jedi Order to accept command of a slave army, and we know how that turned out.” Venku said.

 

“Hey, don’t blame everything on the old Order.” Edaan said, an idea forming in his mind as he said those words, remembering the teachings that Qui-Gon Jinn taught him via his communion with Master Yoda. “Did you know that the Sith had just as much to do with Order Sixty-Six being issued as the Jedi did for falling into their trap?”

 

“You know something we don’t?” Goran inquired, curious if Edaan had any information that Jaing Skirata didn’t divulge during his time on Mandalore.

 

“During Master Yoda’s exile on Dagobah, he communed with the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn, and told him of the full scope of the Sith’s machinations during the Clone War. He told Qui-Gon about how the Kaminoans implanted inhibitor chips in all clones during their third stage of embryonic development that guaranteed that they would obey Palpatine without question when Order Sixty-Six without question. Of course, some of the soldiers were somehow able to resist the order through willpower or other circumstances, like your adopted father, Venku, and either escaped the Galactic Empire, like the Null ARCs and Captain Rex, or were imprisoned or killed, like the surviving members of Ion Squad. So the Kaminoans were just as much to blame as the Jedi and Sith.” Edaan said just before being punched in the jaw by Venku.

 

“HOW DARE YOU DESECRATE MY PARENTS’ MEMORIES BY MAKING UP SOME STORY ABOUT INHIBITOR CHIPS!!” Venku bellowed.

 

As blood trickled out of Edaan’s jaw by way of two of his now-broken teeth, he said from the left side of his jaw, “It’s not a lie. I’m sorry if I offended you, but I was just trying to defend the old Jedi Order from insults, regardless of their many, many sins.”

 

Before Edaan could be punched again by Venku, Goran came up and blocked the blow intended for Edaan with his armored hand, surprising Venku, who said, “What do you think you’re doing, Goran?”

 

“Keeping you from making a huge mistake, no matter how much this kid deserves it for mouthing off. You go any further, and he might pull out of the alliance, and all of his allies would leave us as well.” Goran explained, seemingly calming Venku down.

 

“Fine. But he better stay away from me for now.” Venku said, which elicited a quick nod from Edaan, who went to find Jarael in order to get her to fix up his mouth.

 

As Edaan left, he thought _Man, sometimes I can be such a di'kut._

**Well, I hope you Star Wars fans enjoyed the Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Rebels, and Expanded Universe literature references. Rest assured, there will be more to come. And, don’t worry, Venku and Edaan will make up in the future, Venku just has to come to terms with what he’s just learned. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to email me or review my story. Have a good night, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello, guys. How are you on such a good March day? Read any good books today. I know that I have. In fact, I finished two books a couple of days ago. Anyway, I promised you a look into the life of the antagonists and how they do things, and I intend to deliver. Now, read and enjoy.**

_The Planet Gargon, in Mandalorian Space_

 

Mirta Gev did not feel good about herself right now.

 

She had been tasked with putting down a slave insurrection in the spice mines of Gargon, and as expected, every one of the miners fought to the death to preserve their newfound freedom. Even though Admiral Natasti Daala personally ordered the massacre, and Belok Rhal relished the slaughter fest that was taking place, Mirta could not help but feel a pang of guilt over the deaths she helped orchestrate. It reminded her too much of the massacre of Blaudu Sextus that she partook in almost twelve years ago, where she helped murder so many innocent Octusi just to stop other rebellions from happening all across the galaxy.

 

It made the credits she and the rest of the Mandalorians under her command feel like poison, but they needed the credits to feed their loved ones and keep them going in a galaxy that grew increasingly hostile towards them, and all for trying to keep the Jedi in line. _And now one of their own is getting involved in our civil war._ Mirta mused as she ordered her men to, in order to save her grandfather’s soldiers from being tortured beyond all that was honorable and decent in the galaxy, put them out of their misery by killing them with shots to the head.

 

“Well, that was fun.” Belok said with a spring in his step as he left for his ship to report back to Daala.

 

“Yeah, fun.” Mirta said without any emotion in her voice, as she returned to her ship as well.

 

“You losing your nerve, Mirta?” Belok accusingly said.

 

“No, I’m fully committed to a strong Mandalore.” Mirta defensively said. “I just don’t want to kill all of our people in order to do it.”

 

“You know Savara and Admiral Daala’s orders. Anyone who stands in our way must be eliminated.” Belok replied.

 

“I know that! I just think that there are better ways to win than by killing everyone.” Mirta said, knowing that it Belok would never understand what she meant.

 

“You’re starting to sound like a Jedi. And you know what’s going to happen to the Jedi one we win this war.” Belok reminded her.

 

“I would never join the Jedi after what two of their lost nerfs put me through.” Mirta said, remembering how Darth Caedus and Tahiri Veila tortured her and kept her off of Mandalore for seven years, and resulted in her separation from Ghes Orade after her return.

 

Of course, he hadn’t denounced her as _dar’manda_ yet, probably out of some foolish hope that she would return, which would only happen if Mustafar froze over and her grandfather abdicate the rule over the Mandalorians and put someone more resistant to the Jedi in charge, like Venku Skirata, who she ran into during the Second Galactic Civil War.

 

“ _Not even one who has allied with your grandfather_?” An elderly female voice said from the intercom in Mirta’s helmet.

 

“What do you know about this Jedi, Daala?” Belok asked as the two of them entered their ships and prepared to lift off.

 

“ _Not here. We can’t risk Boba Fett or his allies intercepting any transmissions. Come on board the Chimera, and then we can talk._ ”

 

 _Well, this should be interesting._ Mirta thought as her and Belok’s Bes’uliiks lifted off of the ground and darted into planetary orbit in order to rendezvous with Daala’s ship.

 

 _Twenty Minutes Later Onboard the Imperial-Class Star Destroyer_ Chimera

 

“I reviewed the efficiency of you and your teams, Belok. This will show the other slaves not to rise up against the Neo Death Watch.” Daala said with a hint of praise in her voice, which surprised both Mirta and Belok, as Daala was not one to give out compliments so lightly.

 

Mirta knew what was coming next, and prepared for a series of unstable ravings as Daala turned to face her.

 

“Belok, could you please leave us for a minute, then come back in?” Daala asked in a tone that more fit someone discussing the weather with an old friend after giving Belok a datapad that contained information on Boba Fett’s latest allies.

 

After curtly nodding, he exited the command center.

 

“I’m disappointed in you Mirta. Your men reported that you took no prisoners of Fett’s warriors, and you caused significant damage to the spice refineries. Are you loosing your mettle, or are you going soft?” Daala asked Mirta with an attitude that befitted a parent scolding a child for disobeying their instructions.

 

“I think you know the answer to that question, Daala. Otherwise you and Savara would not have chosen me to be one of the commanders of your elite commandos. So why don’t we get down to business?”

 

“Fair enough.” Daala said, implying for Mirta to take a seat in the left chair as Belok entered the room, his shocked eyes betraying the placid look on his face as he took a seat in the chair right next to Mirta. “Good reading?” Daala asked Belok as he settled in for the briefing.

 

“Stunning.” Belok emotionlessly said as he gave Daala back the datapad.

 

“Something I’m missing?” Mirta asked, eager to get this meeting over with and back to the barracks with the rest of her troops.

 

“The Jedi that Boba Fett has allied with is known as Edaan. Edaan Palpatine to be precise.” Daala said, eliciting a gasp from Mirta as her eyes widened within a second. “Yes, a decendant of _that_ Palpatine. He’s one of their elite Jedi Knights, and he has the backing of two Black Sun vigos, the Hutt Grand Council, and Big Bunji and several of his friends. If he’s allied with Mandalore, then it’s only a matter of time until the rest of the Order arrives in force with their Hapan and Imperial allies. And if that happens, then our cause is lost.” she continued.

 

“I doubt it. After the stunt that the order pulled at Roche, _Ba’Buir_ would never ally with them again. This intervention is probably just the result of the actions of a rogue knight.” Mirta said, unconvinced of Daala’s suspicions of the level of intervention that she was suggesting.

 

“Perhaps, Mirta. Or perhaps not. My contact gave me the full dossier on Edaan Palpatine, and I’m giving it to the two of you in order to distribute it to your men. I will do the same to the rest of the troops.” Daala told the two present Mandalorians who quickly left her office.

 

_One Hour Later_

 

Mirta could not help but feel a measure of respect for this Jedi. According to the files that Daala’s contacts dug up, Edaan Palpatine was a twenty-year old Jedi Knight that had been all over the galaxy in aiding his master, Ben Skywalker, son of Luke Skywalker, try to bring in Vestara Khai, who Mirta knew as Savara Raine, over a six-year period.

 

Over the years, Edaan had built up an impressive number of planetary and sector contacts, ranging from military forces, to diplomatic advisors, and underworld masters. The files also said that he had deserted the order in order to go after Vestara Khai in order to redeem her. Mirta could not help but snort at reading that part. _Like Savara would ever want to go back to those stuck-up priests._ Mirta thought.

 

Still, she admired this Jedi for going up against the galaxy with only a handful of his friends. She read the dossiers on each of them, and their service records spoke highly of Edaan’s choice in friends: Vua Rapuung, a Yuuzhan Vong Gladiator with significant ties to his Vong brethren on Rodia; Jarael Chantique, a highly qualified Iskalloni medic that knew many legendary doctors across the galaxy; Robonino, a professional Patrolian bounty hunter that had a well-known reputation for being fair and honest in his dealings, which was a fading rarity in this very hostile galaxy; Atai Molec, a Zygerrian politician that drove the Zygerrian Slave Guild off of the planet and into exile; Akku Sei II, a Mandalorian that had command over a whole company of borderline fanatically loyal soldiers; Adari Thayn, a keshiri woman who was a Teräs Käsi master who led a resistance movement against Vestara Khai on Kesh for three years before the Jedi invaded the planet, eventually settling down as a instructor for the Jedi at their main academy at Shedu Maad before aiding Edaan with his mad quest, which confounded Mirta, as she would never support the Jedi for invading her home world; and lastly, the legendary astromech droid R2-D2, who had aided the Skywalker family and their allies for almost ninety years, who Edaan had reprogrammed to be primarily loyal to him.

 

In addition, he had gained nearly a million followers from the now dead priest Xasha Xizor, and the backing of the Hutt Grand Council and two Black Sun vigos named Colovo and Durge, along with a dead third vigo named Gruudo.

 

After distributing the dossier on the Jedi Knight to the soldiers under her command, she resolved to soon contact their spy in Fett’s camp in order to get his impression on the young Jedi. _This should be an interesting few months._ Mirta thought as she retired to her quarters.

 

**Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know if I captured the antagonists’ personalities accurately or not. Oh, and I’m sorry that this chapter took so long. It took me a while to put my thoughts together. Hopefully, the next chapter won’t take as long as this one, but only time will tell. May the Force be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello, Star Wars fans. Read any good Star Wars stories today? I know I have. I got the latest Star Wars graphic novel, Star Wars: Chewbacca. It may not be as good as the original graphic novel named after Chewbacca, but it is still a good read. Oh, and I watched the latest chapter of SWTOR (Star Wars: The Old Republic): KOTFE (Knights of the Fallen Empire), and it was excellent. I especially loved Aric Jorgan’s disillusionment with Leontyne Saresh’s tyranny. Personally, I hope that she and her puppet chancellor get their comeuppance later in the story. Anyway, I’m sorry if this chapter took so long. It took me a while to come up with something for this chapter, as I didn’t write much in my outline for the third and fourth stories. Well, with that out of the way, let’s get on with the story.**

_Day 19 of the Shadow Alliance’s formation_

_Two days later, on Gargon_

Edaan just exited the spice refinery on Gargon, and his thoughts were chaotic, to say the least. Boba Fett had ordered Edaan and his crew to investigate the distress signal from the primary spice refinery in order to see who was responsible for the disappearance of the company of Fett’s warriors that were sent there in order to aid the revolting slaves in breaking ties with Neo Death Watch.

 

Everyone didn’t say anything as they searched the factory, but the tension between the eight of them was as obvious as who they suspected who was responsible for the massacre. In investigating the factory, each member of the team discovered clues that Neo Death Watch was responsible, but Artoo took the cake by slicing together scattered files from the helmets of Fett’s dead warriors, security cameras, and the intercom system. Together, they revealed that Mirta Gev and Belok Rhal were personally responsible for the massacre that took place two days ago.

 

“Well, _Mand’alor_ won’t like this news one bit.” A grim Akku said as the eight of them made their way to the _Second Chance_ after completing the search for survivors throughout the facility, only to come up empty.

 

“Agreed.” Edaan concurred as his brain was in overdrive in coming up with an explanation as to why Mirta would kill everyone present. He knew that she could be cruel at times, recalling the story that Han Solo told him of when the Qreph brothers captured him, and how she tortured him, and how she stood by and did nothing as Vestara killed over twenty-eight thousand innocent workers just to send a message to Lando Calrissian. But partaking in the killing of innocent slaves was a new low for Mirta.

 

 _There must be an explanation for this_. Edaan thought as he approached Akku to get his take on the slaughter that occurred here. “What do you think of this?” Edaan asked.

 

“Honestly, I don’t know what to make of this, boss.” Akku said with a hint of remorse in his voice. “I mean, I’ve heard the rumors of how brutal both sides can be, but killing defenseless slaves is a new low for Neo Death Watch.”

 

“I know what you mean, my friend. This is just what gives honorable mercenaries and bounty hunters like you and Robonino a bad name.” Edaan concurred. “Still, it would help to know the motives of our enemies for doing this. Except for Belok Rhal and Natasi Daala, of course, as they would kill or ruin anyone who gets in their way. I just don’t get how Mirta could partake in this and emerge spiritually unscathed.” he continued.

 

“Well, maybe she’s agonizing over the choices she’s made, boss. I mean, she betrayed her family and _Mand’alor_ , and she took both of her and Ghes’s kids with her when she joined Neo Death Watch-“

 

“Wait a second, Akku. You’re telling me that she had kids, and TOOK them with her off to war?! I know that Mandalorians start to train their kids in the warrior ways around the age of eight, but that is insane!!” Edaan interrupted with horror and rage in her voice.

 

“Mirta must be off her meds if she thinks that her kids would be safer with her. Especially since she’s one of Daala’s elite commanders.”

 

“You won’t get any argument from me.” Akku concurred. “Anyway,” he continued “I think that Mirta killed all of those soldiers in order to protect them.” After getting a bewildered look from Edaan, he went on, saying, “I’ve heard rumors that Daala wants any of Fett’s soldiers alive that survive any battle in order to interrogate them for information on Fett’s troop movements, weapons shipments, and especially the schematics for Kyrimorut, as she can’t get any spies inside the base. Daala even resorts to torture in order to get any intelligence out of them, but none of the soldiers won’t crack.” After getting an impressed look from Edaan, Akku said “And a lot of Daala’s troops spill their guts in Fett’s prescence. That says a lot about the leaders and their methods, doesn’t it?”

 

“Indeed it does, my friend.” Edaan said. At least Akku gave him a reason for Mirta’s actions, and while he would never condone cold-blooded executions, he could understand Mirta’s reservations for putting them down when the only alternative was a brutal torture by Belok and Daala’s torture droids and speciaists, and followed by a cruel execution by a firing squad. He only hoped he could use that to his advantage when he eventually confronted Mirta and tried to save her form her misguided loyalties. _I suppose that it’s only a matter of time until we find out._ Edaan thought as everyone entered the _Second Chance_ , and took up his or her positions within the ship.

 

 _May the force be with us all._ He thought as the ship took off for Mandalore in order to report back to Beviin and Fett.

 

**Well, that concludes this chapter. I hope I made the characters real enough for you to enjoy. Anyway, sorry if this chapter took longer than expected, especially since this was the shortest chapter that I’ve written so far, but other events got in the way. May the force be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	12. Chapter 11

**Hello, all of my loyal viewers. Star Wars does not belong to me, nor do any of their characters. However, all of my OCs (original characters) are my property, and cannot be used without my explicit permission. Anyway, I hope that you’re enjoying my EU references, as well as my The Clone Wars and Rebels references, since I’ve snatched up just about every comic, novel, TV show, and several video games that cover the old Expanded Universe, and several comics and novels of the new canon that do not conflict with the old universe. Oh, and speaking of Rebels, are you excited for the Season 2 finale, because I know that I am. Anyway, let’s get on with the story.**

 

_Kyrimorut, Mandalore, in Mand’alor’s private briefing room_

_The Next Day_

“So there were no survivors?” Fett asked Akku and Edaan.

 

“No _Mand’alor_.” Akku replied. “We’re all but certain that all of the slaves that revolted on Gargon against Neo Death Watch, as well as the contingent of warriors that you sent to aid them, are all dead to set an example for the remaining slaves serving them.”

 

“What about the commanders in charge? Did you get an ID on them?” Goran asked, with Venku right beside him.

 

“We did, Goran.” Edaan said. “We’re positive that Belok Rhal and… Mirta Gev personally led the massacre on Gargon, and they left shortly after in order to rendezvous with Daala about something of utmost importance. Unfortunately, we don’t know what it was about.” he concluded.

 

“I can hazard a guess.” said a voice that mysteriously sounded a lot like Boba Fett, but seemed slightly older and graver then Fett’s. Everyone turned to the exit of Fett’s briefing room to see a Mandalorian in gray armor and wearing gray gloves, which Edaan recognized as being made of kaminoan skin, arrive in the briefing room.

 

After racking his brain for a few seconds, he recognized the Mandalorian from the stories that Jaina Solo Fel told him about her time training with the Mandalorians, and the stories that Ghes Orade told him of all of his accomplishments as a soldier and mercenary.

 

After putting all of his knowledge of Jaing Skirata that he knew into the front of his mind, he introduced himself, saying, “You must be Jaing Skirata, the last surviving child of Kal Skirata, and the last living Null ARC. I’ve heard several good things about you from Jaina and Ghes. As you’re no doubt aware, I’m Edaan Palpatine, and I’m sure you know of my friend, Akku Sei II.” Akku nodded as his friend mentioned him.

 

“I didn’t know that Ghes was such a blabber-mouth.” Jaing joked before getting serious. “And yes, I’m familiar with you, your friends, and your accomplishments. They’re quite impressive for such a young Jedi.”

 

“Thank you, that’s quite a compliment.” Edaan said before Venku coughed loudly in order to get both of their attention.

 

“Not to break up the chat between the two of you, actually, that is what I intend, but what are you doing here, Jaing?” Venku inquired.

 

“Well, Venku, I just got back from taking out the weapons depot on Concord Dawn, and securing the aid of the Mandalorian Protectors there that have remained neutral in the civil war so far.”

 

“That’s ironic, considering that the Protectors there remained pro-Empire throughout the reign of the First Galactic Empire until the Lothal Rebels captured their leader, Fenn Rau, and got the remaining Protectors to give them unrestricted access throughout their system.” Edaan told everyone, remembering the lessons the Leia Organa Solo taught him during her time at the Academy on Shedu Maad, and the records in the Jedi Archives had about the early resistance groups against the Empire.

 

“Yes, it is.” Fett said in a tone that ended Edaan’s reminiscing. “Continue, Jaing.” he then said.

 

“Of course, _Mand’alor_. Anyway, after passing along that intel that you wanted to Daala about Edaan and the others” Jaing said, causing Edaan and Akku’s eyes to widen in shock, eliciting amusement from every other person in the briefing room, before continuing, saying “Sorry guys, _Mand’alor’s_ orders. Anyway-“

 

“No, no anyway! Fett, you had Jaing tell Daala of my alliance with you? Why in the galaxy would you do that?!” Edaan said, on the verge of shouting at this point, too enraged by this betrayal of trust by Fett to think clearly.

 

“In order to throw Daala and her supporters off-balance, and get them thinking about opposing me.” Fett stoically replied.

 

“You do realize that by doing so, you have alerted the Vestara to my position, which could bring her remaining forces here en masse.” Edaan warned.

 

“Doubtful, since the Jedi are hunting her forces throughout the galaxy everywhere they show up.” Venku countered.

 

“That doesn’t mean that they can’t come in smaller numbers. The devastation that even one could cause is unpredictable. Look at what happened when Vestara worked for the Qrephs eleven years ago. And they’ve had years to improve their skills in hiding ever since then. Daala could have Sith advisors at her disposal, and we might not even know of it.” Edaan countered right back, not wanting his counsel to be discarded so easily.

 

“And you still think that she can be redeemed, given how many years she remained on the run, and sinking deeper and deeper into the dark side of the force?” Jaing said, curious as to what Edaan’s reaction would be.

 

“I have hope, and nothing is certain in these strange times.” Edaan calmly replied.

 

“Ah.” Jaing said with a tone that seemed to confirm something for him, which Edaan picked up on at once, and had a good idea of what it was, but would confront Jaing with it when the two of them were alone, as he would not risk a free-for-all in the briefing center.

 

“Anyway…” Fett said, eager to get this meeting back on track before continuing, saying “Daala would have found out sooner or later about you and our ‘Shadow Alliance’, so I figured it would be better to preempt Daala and her supporters before they were ready to go to full-scale war.”

 

“You mean that the war hasn’t kicked into full gear at this point?” Edaan incredulously said remembering the destruction that he saw on his way to Mandalore to meet up with Fett.

 

“No. These are just skirmishes, considering how brutal we Mandalorians can be.” Goran explained.

 

“Well, as long as you’ve thought of everything.” Edaan sarcastically said. After that, the meeting drew to a close, and as everyone left the briefing room, Edaan asked Jaing, “How about you and I have a chat about your methods and your commitment to the greater good.”

 

“Careful.” Venku said as he was at the door for the briefing room.

 

“ _Udesii_ , Venku.” Jaing nonchalantly said as he followed Edaan. “We’re just going to talk about me ‘methods’ and my ‘commitment to the greater good.’”

 

**Well, sorry that this chapter took longer to make than the others, it’s just that I’ve had trouble putting my thoughts together for the last few chapters. Anyway, I hope that this chapter makes up for my very brief absence. So, may the force be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Hello, Star Wars fans. How are you doing on this warm evening? I’m doing fine, by the way. I hope you are enjoying my story, as I’m about to put a little action in this story. I’m sure that you can guess what it is, but if you can’t then be prepared for a treat.**

“Well, how do my methods ‘displease’ you?” A chipper Jaing asked a frustrated Edaan as the two of them entered the training center in Kyrimorut.

 

Before Edaan responded, he took a deep breath, tapped into the force to augment his strength, and punched Jaing straight in the lower jaw. As soon as Jaing fell to the floor, Edaan bellowed, “That’s for putting my loved ones at risk with the stunt that you and _Mand’alor_ pulled!”

 

After about thirty seconds, a disoriented Jaing pulled himself up off of the durasteel floor, and, with a trickle of dark-red blood coming out of his mouth, said, “Nice punch, Jedi. Almost knocked me out with that blow. Now _that’s_ a good use of the Force.”

 

“Thank you.” said a still infuriated Edaan replied, before getting ready to assault Jaing with all that he had. As he ran at Jaing, Jaing grabbed his arm and flipped him over, pinning him to the ground with his leg as he said, “Now, can we get back to our discussion, or do you want to get beaten up again?” Jaing said, remembering how Goran told him how Venku struck Edaan in the jaw for telling him about the inhibitor chips that were implanted within clone troopers during their creation, which surprised Jaing, as he didn’t find out about that until after the First Galactic Empire came to power.

 

“Fine. But let’s do it while we continue this fight, as I need to let off some steam.” Edaan complied.

 

“Good enough.” Jaing said as he took a battle stance, which made Edaan remember that he was fighting a ninety-six year-old man. Ordinarily he would hold back, but he knew that a Mandalorian that was that old had decades of combat experience on their belt, which made them a one-man army, especially a former Advance Reconnaissance Trooper for the Grand Army of the Republic. He also knew that Jaing could have had his aging organs replaced with health ones, just like the Bakurans do on their home planet of Bakura.

 

“So,” Jaing said, as he blocked a series of kicks and jabs from Edaan before going on the offensive, “how do I offend your sense of the ‘greater good?’”

 

“I don’t like how you’re playing both sides to your advantage, Jaing. It makes me wonder just who or what it is your fighting for.” Edaan told Jaing as he bobbed and weaved through all of Jaing’s punches and strikes.

 

“I’m fighting for a strong Mandalore, just like everyone here is, except for you and your allies.” Jaing said as he dodged a flying kick from Edaan. Edaan quickly recovered from falling face first on the ground, and countered Jaing’s blows by head-butting him, and then rapidly punching him in the stomach and abdomen, knocking the breath out of Jaing as he fell to the floor. “Stang, Jedi,” Jaing wheezed, “you’re good.”

 

‘Thanks. I’ve been learning how to fight ever since I was five years old, when I met Vua Rapuung. He taught me the basics of street fighting, and some of his people’s combat techniques. They’re a bit crude, but effective.” Edaan said as he used one of Vua’s brute force techniques against Jaing, assaulting him on his flank with all of the force he could muster against the Mandalorian. “And what is your definition of a ‘strong Mandalore?’”

 

“Well, Jedi-“ Jaing began before being interrupted by Edaan.

 

“I told everyone to call me by my name, as I don’t want any special attention from my affiliations with the Jedi, as I’m sure you understand.” Edaan said.

 

“That’s fair. I didn’t want any attention coming my way during the Clone War, especially during one of my missions.” Jaing said, remembering the time when his Null brother, Ordo, beat up a COMPOR supporter after he insulted Ordo and _Kal’buir_. At the thought of one of his brothers and his adopted father, he started to reminisce over all of his memories with his family, which included every member of Clan Skirata.

 

He then shook himself out of his contemplation, and brought his mind back to the fight at hand. “Anyway, Edaan, I want Mandalore to be powerful enough to not be bullied, oppressed, or ignored by any government or organization, whether it be the Galactic Alliance, the Jedi Order, the Hutt Grand Council, or the Fel Empire.” He said as he continued trading blows with Edaan.

 

“An admirable goal, Jaing, but how do you intend to get Mandalore and its people to where you want it to be? By working as bodyguards or thugs for criminal masterminds and despots, like Mirta Gev and Belok Rhal respectively did, or by invading worlds and killing or enslaving everyone who’s in your way, like how your ancestors did during the Mandalorian Wars?” Edaan inquired, wondering how much he could poke around before he got to the core of Jaing’s being, and see what this man’s allegiance laid.

 

At the mention of all of those past events, Jaing tensed up before smiling and saying, “You’ve done your homework, Edaan. Did Ben Skywalker teach you about our history, or was it your force ghosts that you consider your ‘true masters, Tau, Revan, Meetra Surik, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Darth Ceadus?’”

 

At the mention of his deceased masters, Edaan froze, allowing him to be sucker punched in the forehead by Jaing, who then pinned Edaan to the ground for the second time in less than five minutes. “Well, Edaan, that was a good spar. Not many can last so long against me. Anything else you wanted to say?”

 

After two minutes to regain his bearings, Edaan asked Jaing, “By the Force, how in the karking galaxy did you find that out?”

 

“I hacked into the Jedi Archives to find everything out about you when you allied with us against Daala, and I found out about your true masters under the ‘classified’ section.” Jaing said proudly before continuing, saying, “I’m quite impressed by your service record, by the way. You’ve surrounded yourself with a lot of honorable and resourceful people. A lot of Mandalorians would kill you to get all of your connections across the galaxy.”

 

As Edaan continued to look baffled, he said, “How did you-“ before he caught himself, saying, “Right, you were a Null ARC. And according to old Imperial records, you and your brother N-6, better known as Kom’rk, found General Grievous’s bolt hole in Utupau at the end of the Clone War.”

 

“And I found out about Plett’s Well during the Great Jedi Purge, and I convinced _Kal’Buir_ to ally with Djinn Altis in order to keep his Jedi sect alive.” Jaing said proudly, eliciting a look of shock from Edaan as his jaw fell agape.

 

“Then I guess the Jedi Order is in your debt for helping the survivors of the old order during their darkest time.” Edaan numbly said, amazed at what this former clone soldier had done to help the order that had abused his brothers in the form of Pong Krell during the Second Battle of Umbara during the third year of the Clone War, who tried to defect to Dooku’s Dark Acolytes in order to become his Sith apprentice, causing the death of many clone soldiers, and Iri Camas, who would have ordered the deaths of over a thousand clone troopers and a Jedi general just because he thought the Battle of Dinlo was lost.

 

“Don’t go getting mushy on me, Edaan. Kal’Buir and the rest of us did what we had to do to survive, not out of the goodness of our hearts.” Jaing said in a tone that would brook no argument.

 

“It was still a noble and bold action to take, and I’m glad you took it.” Edaan said before continuing, jokingly saying as he started to pull himself up from the durasteel floor, “You’re alright for an amoral Mandalorian spy.”

 

“Thanks. And you’re not so bad yourself for a stuck-up Jedi knight.” Jaing said as he helped Edaan get up. Both were chuckling at the remarks that each of them said as they prepared to go to their ships to get some rest.

 

As they left, Edaan said, “Make sure you don’t give away any decisive intel about me or my friends to Daala, and don’t tell _Mand’alor_ about my special talents, otherwise he’ll go ballistic on me for holding out.”

 

“As long as you uphold your end of the bargain, then you’ve got a deal.” Jaing said as he left the training dome.

 

**Whew, finally done. Sorry that this chapter took so long, I had school and other things keeping me busy, plus a little bit of writer’s block got in the way. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the references I made to both timelines of the Clone War. Oh, and if your wondering why I refer to the Clone War without an “s” at the end, it’s because my character feels that the “s” is not needed, considering that it was a war where only one side had clone troopers. One more thing, sorry that the fight scene wasn’t very descriptive, but I’m not at all good at detailed fight scenes. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as now I need to come up with whatever is next, as I’m kind of making things up as I go along. May the force be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Hello, my loyal viewers, friends and fans. How are you doing today? Sorry if my update came later than you would have liked, but I needed time to come up with something good for this story. Anyway, let’s get started on viewing this excellent chapter. And be prepared for several _Star Wars: Legacy_ references, as well as plenty of other references**

  1. _Day 28 of the Shadow Alliance’s formation._



_Jedi Academy, Shedu Maad_

As Ben Skywalker walked into the Jedi Academy’s main briefing room, he was not happy right now, as he received a message from his father to meet the Jedi Council in the briefing room within the hour. Arriving half an hour early, he entered the room to find most of the council present, along with his father, aunt, and uncle present.

 

The only ones missing were the two newest members of the Jedi High Council, the Whipid Jedi Master K’Kruhk and the Neti Jedi Master T’ra Saa, each Jedi masters of the old Jedi order who survived the Great Jedi Purge at the end of the Old Republic’s life. Edaan Palpatine discovered both of these Jedi during his missions with Ben Skywalker as his apprentice, finding T’ra Saa on the planet Anzat in mourning over the death of her lover, Jedi Master Tholme, and K’Kruhk on the world of Arkinnea in a hidden Jedi temple along with several former younglings of the old order that had grown and had children of their own, a significant boon to the current Jedi Order, as it gave the Jedi over twenty new Jedi Knights and thirty younglings.

 

Within ten minutes, both Jedi Masters had arrived from instructing the Veermok and Ronto clans of Jedi younglings. They quickly took up their positions within the circle in the briefing room where they would discuss the growing threat of the Second Mandalorian Civil War, and what could be done to prevent the spread of hostilities into sectors surrounding the Mandalorian Sector.

 

“The situation is quickly deteriorating within Mandalorian Space.” Kyle Katarn, the current Jedi Grand Master after Luke went into semi-retirement, said, referring to the reports sent in by Edaan Palpatine about the massacre on Gargon and the attempt to assassinate the Mandallian Council.

 

“That much we gathered, Master Katarn. What we came here to do is decide what we’re going to do about it.” A disgusted Han said in response to Edaan’s reports. “Both sides are going to kill each other and take out a lot of innocents that are caught in the crossfire, even with Edaan’s help.”

 

“Maybe not, Captain Solo. After all, Edaan does have the support and resources of the Hutt clans, Black Sun, and Xasha Xizor’s organization. They may be enough to tip the balance in Boba Fett’s favor.” K’Kruhk said in an attempt to placate Han.

 

“Doubtful. Mandalorians are among the toughest and most brutal groups of mercenaries in the galaxy, and it will take more than a few criminals and a single Jedi to end Daala’s rampage.” Han retorted.

 

“Perhaps, or perhaps not, captain Solo. As Jedi Master Rahm Kota once said, ‘One Jedi can turn the tide in any war.’” T’ra Saa countered, recalling the meetings that she had with him during the Clone War, and how many battles that his militia won in that devastating war. “And let’s not forget that one Jedi Knight was able to bring down Daala’s Super Star Destroyer, the _Knight Hammer_ , during her invasion of Yavin IV.” she continued.

 

“That was a long time ago, Master Saa. And we don’t even have the support of the Galactic Alliance anymore.” Leia reminded T’ra.

 

“True,” Luke said before continuing, saying, “but now the Jedi Order is stronger than ever since its restoration, numbering over twenty-five hundred strong. And we have the support of the Galactic Empire and Hapes Consortium as well, each a powerful government in their own right. But together, they have the strength to rival the Galactic Alliance in influence and power, especially since the Imperial Mission came to be fifteen years ago.”

 

After Luke finished speaking, everyone bowed their heads briefly to remember the cost of the Imperial Mission’s formation in the form of millions of lives taken during the Second Galactic Civil War, and the deaths of several Jedi, including the fall and death of Jacen Solo, who became the Sith Lord Darth Caedus before being killed by his twin sister, Jaina Solo Fel.

 

After a few moments, Ben raised his head and said, “Look, I hate to be rude, but can we get this meeting back on track? This civil war is only going to get worse while we get lost in bad memories.”

 

“Good idea, Master Skywalker.” Corran Horn said, also eager to get this meeting moving again.

 

_One Hour Later_

 

Ben, eager to get his frustrations of hardly anything being done during the meeting, ducked in order to avoid losing his head to his opponent’s lightsaber. His adversary, his aunt Leia Organa Solo, quickly lunged at Ben in order to get him off balance, but he brought his blade up, and grinded her assault to a halt. “Now that we’re alone, what did you want to talk about, Aunt Leia?” he asked.

 

“I can sense a lot of anger and sadness in you, and I didn’t want to drag anyone else into this because they’re so busy, and because they would probably act first and not thing things through.” Leia calmly said.

 

“I just wish the Council would take decisive action against our enemies instead of dancing around the issue. And before you say anything, I know how precarious our situation is in most of the galaxy, and how we must be careful of how we present ourselves in order to sway public opinion back into our favor.” Ben explained to his aunt.

 

“You were there for the meeting, Ben. You know that the Council is taking the Mandalore threat seriously, otherwise they would not have sent five Jedi Knights and Master Barratk’l to support Edaan on his mission to aid Boba Fett.” Laia reminded her angry nephew.

 

“Yeah, but will Fett and his followers even take their aid, given their animosity for the Jedi?” Ben asked.

 

“They just might, since, given the volatile situation there, they’re going to follow Edaan’s orders.” Leia replied.

 

“Can we trust Edaan to get the job done, because, knowing him and impossible causes, he’ll try to redeem Mirta Gev, Belok Rhal, and Natasi Daala?” Ben jokingly said, hoping to lighten the mood.

 

“Doubtful, Ben. Edaan might be reckless, especially with his personal crusade, but he’s not stupid. He’ll know when something is impossible. And when he realizes that Vestara can’t be redeemed, he’ll stop protecting her and bring her in to face justice for her crimes.” Leia said, the conviction strong in her voice as she spoke.

 

“I don’t know, Aunt Leia. I think that Edaan’s been hell-bent on saving Vestara since he was a child.”

 

“What makes you think that?’ Leia asked, wanting to know if Ben knew something that she didn’t.

 

“Edaan told me that he met Vestara when she wanted to be a Jedi, and she inspired him with the hope that they could fight side-by-side when he became a Jedi Knight. I think that that has been one of the main drives for Edaan as he grew up.” Ben explained.

 

After a few moments of contemplating this new piece of information, Leia responded by asking, “Why didn’t you tell anyone about this?”

 

“Because I thought that, with time, he would outgrow this obsession, and be able to move on with his life. But, clearly I was wrong.” Ben sadly said.

 

After Ben said those words, both Jedi deactivated their lightsabers and bowed to each other in respect.

 

“It’s out of our hands now, Ben. All we can do is trust in Edaan to do the right thing.” Laia said in a soothing tone.

 

“Aunt Leia, how can you be so calm with all of this? I mean, Mirta and Vestara have caused so much pain to the galaxy, especially to this family, yet Edaan wants to save people like them.” Ben inquired, looking for guidance but too ashamed of the conflicted emotions that he was experiencing right now.

 

“Because I’ve made my peace with what they’ve done. I’ve accepted what has happened, and let the anger go, as a Jedi should. Han still bares a healthy grudge against the two of them, but he’s tried to move on. I understand that that is hard for you, yet I implore you to continue to let the anger go, lest you be consumed by it.” Leia urged her nephew.

 

Having a stoic look on his face, but looking conflicted in his eyes, Ben said, “I will… consider what you have said, Aunt Leia, but I make no promises. My anger runs deep, and I don’t know if I can remove it without confronting Vestara one last time.”

 

Leia nodded in understanding, and left the training room.

 

Ben thought to himself, _Great, more food for thought. As if I didn’t have enough to contemplate._

 

Despite all of the pain that he had endured, he knew that deep down, he still loved Vestara, and he couldn’t let go of that love until either he or she died.

 

**And, that’s a wrap. Sorry that this chapter took so long, I had to put my thoughts together, and I took a little ‘Me’ time. Hopefully, the next chapter won’t take so long. Anyway, onto the content of this chapter. Yes, I included K’Kruhk and T’ra Saa, as I needed to show that we were getting closer and closer to _Star Wars: Legacy_ , and what better way than to show two of the most integral Jedi in _Star Wars:_ _Legacy_ , other than Cade Skywalker, Wolf Sazen, or Shado Vau. Oh, and I took the idea for Kyle Katarn to be the Jedi Grand Master after Luke left from a fanfic called _Scarlet Starburst_ , that was written by chilled monkey. I have no claim to the idea, and I mention this just in case chilled monkey reads this fan fiction. One more thing, will the new team of Jedi create additional tension between the Mandalorians and Edaan. Well, if you’re intrigued, keep on reading for more, once I put the next chapter online, of course. SO, with that out of the way, may the force be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe! **

 


	15. Chapter 14

** Hello, everyone. I am so sorry that this chapter took so long to write, but I was in a stump, I was sick for a few days, and I was without my laptop for a almost a week. So, it was a tough time for me. But I’m back, and I promise to try and write more often. Of course, I still have school and a potential job to worry about, but do not worry, because this story is out of stasis.  **

****

_ 1135 Hours. Day 35 of the Shadow Alliance’s formation. _

_ Kyrimorut, Mandalore.  _

Edaan Palpatine, Goran Beviin, and their respective teams waited at the landing pad for their unexpected guests. When Edaan received the news and was ordered to keep it a secret, for fear of the Mandalorians reacting out of hostility and fear, he knew what to do. _And, boy, did it cause a stir._ Edaan thought as he saw the five StealthXs enter Mandalore’s atmosphere. As they quickly approached, Edaan’s mind quickly slipped back to six days ago, when he alerted Boba Fett to the news. 

_ Six days ago _

_ How do I get myself into a fight everywhere I go? _ Edaan wondered as he narrowly, bobbed and weaved through all of Boba Fett’s assault as the _Mand’alor_ cursed in Mando’a . Through all of the assault, Edaan could make out the words “lying slimeball”, “outsider trash”, and “traitor”, among other… more colorful words being used before Fett switched to basic for the benefit of Edaan’s compatriots. 

“You said that if you sent regular reports to your fellow Jedi, they would stay out of the war! So why are they sending more of their number here to your aid?!” Fett bellowed to Edaan, which bewildered Edaan, as he never saw Fett yell give into emotion in all of his time here.

_It must be the stress of leadership._ He surmised. 

“I didn’t know that they would decide to send reinforcements!” Edaan countered while using the force to enhance his agility, allowing him to stay one step ahead of Fett’s assault. “Best guess, they’re worried about the threat of the civil war spilling into the greater galaxy, given the reports that I sent about Gargon and Mandallia.” he continued. 

“Typical Jedi mindset, only stay concerned about the ‘greater good,’ never about the little people.” Venku sardonically said.

“Please stay out of this!” Edaan hollered as he countered Fett’s roundhouse kick with one of his own. Venku simply shrugged in response of Edaan’s yelling. “Now, where were we?” Edaan murmured while he was distracted, right before he got hit in the back by Fett’s Mandalorian Crushgaunts, which caused him to fly into one of the monitors and crash into the screen. After getting a quick shock, he struggled to get back up, and failed many times over. “I… I think one of my vertebrae is cracked.” He said while agonizing in pain, and Adari and Jarael rushed over to his side. 

After a brief examination, Jarael said, “No kidding. One of your thoracic vertebrae is cracked. I’m amazed that you’re still conscious.”

“Good. You deserved it for being such a fool for trusting the Jedi to keep their word. Besides, I really needed to let out some anger, and you were the perfect training dummy, Edaan.”Fett replied, his stoic tone beginning to return. 

“They’re sending a team to determine if the Order needs to intervene en masse. If you give them what they want, the will quickly leave, and we can get back to winning this war.” Adari countered. “Besides, without Edaan, you wouldn’t have a chance of winning this war, what with the Sith now revealed to be in this war and are allied with Daala.” She continued while applying bacta patches to her boyfriend’s back. 

“We don’t know that the Jedi will leave, Adari.” Ghes said, finally commenting while leaning against a wall and watching his leader injure his Jedi friend. “They could still send reinforcements, and that wouldn’t go over well with most of our troops. Both of our people still hold a lot of animosity with a bunch of people.”

“And with good reason, Ghes.” Edaan agreed, recalling the history lessons that he learned from Revan and Qui-Gon Jinn, telling him about the atrocities that the Mandalorians and Jedi committed against each other and other races during the Great Sith War, the Mandalorian Wars, the Mandlaorians’ involvement in the Great Galactic War and Galactic War, the Mandalorian Excision, and the Battle of Galidraan, which only sowed the seeds for future conflict between both organizations. 

“We’ve got over four thousand years of hatred between our two peoples, and that isn’t going to go away overnight. And this team of Jedi coming here is only going to make the tension here worse. Let’s just hope that my former master isn’t a part of the group, or he’ll probably suspect everyone here of collaborating with Vestara.” He said with a hint of amusement over imagining Ben being more paranoid than usual while on Mandalore.

“Agreed.” Fett said, before continuing, saying, “If he comes here, he’ll have to deal with an army of pissed off _Mando’ade_ over his father’s role in getting a bunch of our people killed during Roche, and the soldiers he and his family killed that served under Mirta before this insane civil war began.” 

After a moment to gather his breath, Edaan cautiously stood up, and after a moment’s wincing and hissing from the pain that Fett gave him, limped to the _Second Chance_ , with Adari and Jarael right behind him. As he hobbled away, he said to everyone else present, saying, “All of this griping isn’t going to make the problem go away. We have to be able to adapt to any situation, or we’ll never make any headway into winning this war. So I humbly suggest that all of you tell your men that we’ve got guests inbound, and advise them to be on their best behavior.” Taking their silence as their agreement to his suggestion, he continued shuffling along to the _Second Chance_ , being attended to by his two companions every step of the way. 

_ The Present Day _

“Well, Edaan, what do you sense?” Goran asked Edaan, who saw Kyrimorut’s defense fighters guide the five Jedi starfighters in. 

“Well, my master is definitely not among them, so thank the force for small mercies, but I do sense that Master Dorvald is among them.”

“Dorvald, as in Seha Dorvald, who was sponsored into the Jedi Order by Darth Caedus, and framed for poisoning General [Merratt Jaxton](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Merratt_Jaxton) and Moff Drikl Lecersen while helping to depose that lunatic Daala from the GA?” one of Goran’s men said, earning a scowl from Goran, while Edaan was impressed by the Shistavanen who knew all of that intelligence about Dorvald. 

“Indeed. You’ve done your homework, soldier.” Edaan praised, earning a grateful smile from the female Shistavanen. “Anyway,” he continued, saying, “I can’t tell who else is with her, but I can sense that they’re all very powerful Jedi, so I’d be prepared to meet some of the most Elite Jedi of the Order.” 

“Well, at least we’re worth some of their best.” Goran jokingly said as the StealthXs landed. 

After the fighters took a minute to cool down, the five pilots opened the canopies of their ships, and used the force to jump out of their cockpit. The five Jedi took off their helmets, and Edaan recognized them instantly: the tall Togorian on the middle right was named Bhixen, and, judging by the lack of a padawan braid, he was recently promoted to Jedi Knight. Around the age of twenty-seven, he had issues with his pride and anger as a youngling, but seeing him here showed how much he had grown over the past eleven years. 

The red-and-grey-haired Jedi in the middle was the Jedi Council member Corran Horn. A former Rogue Squadron pilot, Jedi Council member, and veteran of the two Galactic Civil Wars, the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, and the Lost Tribe of the Sith’s Emergence. One of his hands, Edaan couldn’t remember which, had two of its fingers cut off by a Sith’s lightsaber during the Lost Tribe’s Occupation of Coruscant, and replaced by prosthetic ones. 

The giant Yuzzem on the far right was named Barratk’l, and she was also a Jedi High Council member, who was appointed to the Council by the acting Jedi Grand Master Kenth Hamner in order to acquire another vote for his policies, but she proved her mettle by disobeying Kenth when his actions put the Order and greater galaxy in mortal danger, and led a team of eight Jedi in to causing slave revolts across the galaxy during the Lost Tribe’s Emergence. She had since served on the Coucnil with both distinction and honor. 

The Jedi on the far left with a buzz cut was named Jaden Korr, and he was the former apprentice of current Jedi Grand Master Kyle Katarn. He had a wide range of force powers ranging from light side, to neutral, and dark side of the force. Jaden also served with distinction during the Disciples of Ragnos Crisis, the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Second Galactic Civil War, hunting down several extremely powerful, and dangerous, force sensitive clones, the Lost Tribe of the Sith Emergence, and the Invasion of Kesh.

And the last Jedi on the middle left was the only one Edaan could recognize based on her force signature: Seha Dorvald, former girlfriend of Ben Skywalker, Jedi Master, and veteran of the Second Galactic Civil War and Lost Tribe of the Sith Emergence, as well as survivor of the Vongformed Coruscant during and after the Yuuzhan Vong occupation of the planet, where she was found by the then-Jedi Knight Jacen Solo, and sponsored into the Jedi Order. 

After taking a minute to examine the five Jedi present, Edaan took a step up to the his fellow Jedi and pleasantly said, “Welcome to Mandalore, everyone. How was your trip down?”

“Thankfully, uneventful, Knight Palpatine.” Corran Horn said. “Boba Fett’s fighters quickly and quietly guided us in, and we didn’t suffer from any raiders or Neo Death Watch fighters.” After saying this, he quickly noticed the slight look of pain in Edaan’s expression, and he asked, “Is everything alright, Edaan?”

“It will be, Master Horn. One of my vertebrae was cracked, but I’ve undergone intensive bacta therapy and gone into several healing meditations to speed up the recovery process.” As he said those words, the eyes of Seha bolted wide open in concern, and before she could reply, Edaan said, “Don’t worry, Master Dorvald, I’ll be fully recovered with a few more days. Until then, my crew and I are going over tactics and strategy with _Mand’alor_ and his top advisors.” 

“You’re calling Fett by his title now? How deep are you in the Mandalorian culture?” Bhixen incredulously asked, surprised by the calm look in Edaan’s eyes as he talked about the Mandalorians.

“Not too deep, Bhixen, but I don’t want to offend any of the Mandalorians here, so we all need to refer to everyone by their official names.” Edaan replied to the tall Togorian. 

“Anyway,” Goran said, hoping to move things along as they walked into Kyrimorut to tell Boba that the Jedi had arrived. “I’m surprised that your Council would send five Jedi of such standing, which includes two members of your Council, a veteran Jedi Master and a highly experienced Jedi Knight, and a promising newly promoted Knight.” 

“Well, Mr. Beviin,-“

“No, no.” Goran interrupted as Barratk’l began speaking. “I want you to call me by my first name: Goran. Mr. Beviin is just too formal for a mercenary such as me.”

“All right, that’s fair, Goran.” A stoic Jaden said. “So, how much do you know about the five of us?” He asked, curious just how knowledgeable this mercenary was. 

“Well, Jaden, I know enough to say that your uncle was as fat as a Hutt.” Goran said, recalling the stories he heard from several elderly people on Coruscant. “And that you’re one of the only people to go up against _Mand’alor_ and come out virtually unscathed.”

After raising an eyebrow in surprise, Jaden said, “Wow. I’m impressed. You’ve done your homework.” 

“How do you know so much about us?” a cautious Bhixen asked, wondering just how much the Mandalorians knew about them. 

“Enough to know that you nearly shot off the head of Grand Master Skywalker.” Goran jokingly said, causing Bhixen to blush in embarrassment at Goran’s comment. 

After a few minutes of making polite conversation, everyone arrived at the briefing room. And as the doors opened, and everyone went in, Corran, under his breath, said, “may the force be with us.”

** And done. Wow, this was the longest chapter that I’ve written so far, and it only took me around three days to do. Hopefully the next one won’t take over ten days to do. Anyway, did you guys see the Star Wars Rebels Season Two finale, because it was INTENSE!! I mean, Darth Maul returning, Darth Vader vs. Ahsoka Tano, Ahsoka surviving and remaining on Malachor, Kanan being blinded by Maul, and Ezra moving closer to the Dark Side of the force, it was the best episode of Rebels yet. I’m pumped for season three. Oh, and if I bring up the Mission to Malachor, I’ll instead have it take place on Korriban, replace Maul with Savage Oppress, and Ahsoka will die instead of having her fate be unclear, just to tie up a potential loose end, in order to align more with the Expanded Universe. Anyway, enjoy, may the force be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe! **


	16. Chapter 15

**Hello, my loyal fans. How are you doing on this fine spring day? I’m fine, thanks for asking. Anyway, I hope this chapter more than makes up for my absence, because it will have a twist that no one will see coming, but all I will say is that it shows Edaan’s ability to take charge of the situation, and his skills as a leader. So, with that out of the way, let’s get on with this glorious fanfiction.**

As the six Jedi and Goran arrived in the briefing room, the Jedi sensed the tension simmering in the room of every Mandalorian present, which included Ghes Orade, Venku and Jaing Skirata, Akku Sei II, and Boba Fett, and it immediately set them on edge. Every Mandalorian except Akku emitted hostility at their unwanted guests, but they refused to act on it, not willing to give up precious ground during the first meeting between the two parties.

 

After a tense minute of everyone staring at each other, Edaan decided to break the stiffness in the room and cheerfully said “So, we’re off to a good start. No one’s tried to kill each other yet, so let’s call that a sign of progress between our two peoples.”

 

No one replied to Edaan’s remark, which made Edaan remember how Revan told him of the Rishi meeting between Satele Shan and Darth Marr, how they united to fight a mentally and spiritually damaged Revan, who was hell-bent on reviving the so-called immortal Sith Emperor Vitiate in order to fully destroy him, and how neither side remarked to Theron Shan’s remark, which was very similar to his own.

 

“Enough pleasantries, Fett. Shall we begin this meeting, or do we have to listen to poor Edaan make a bigger fool of himself?” Corran Horn curtly said, earning a brief chuckle from Akku, whose laughter earned him a glare from Boba and Venku.

 

“Agreed, Horn.” Boba Fett calmly replied as he sat down in the meeting table in the briefing room, motioning for Corran and Barratk’l to sit down across from him on the other side of the table,. As the two of them sat down, with the other three visitors standing behind the two council members, Edaan moved to the middle of the table and sat down across from Venku and Jaing.

 

“So… Edaan here tells me that you’re here to ascertain whether Jedi intervention is needed in order to bring our civil war to an end.” Boba knowingly said.

 

“I see that Knight Palpatine had been very forthcoming with you, Fett.” Barratk’l said while sending a stern glare in Edaan’s direction.

 

“Edaan here understands being honest with his allies and working with us as equals. Granted, he might have a bit of a know-it-all, but he’s not the worst Jedi we’ve met.” Venku replied, surprising Edaan, as he and Venku weren’t on the best of terms right now since he told Venku about the inhibitor chips that Darth Tyranus and the Kaminoans implanted in most of the clone troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic.

 

“Thanks for the save, Venku.” Edaan gratefully said.

 

“Don’t read into it too much, kid. I just don’t like it when people attack my allies, verbally or otherwise.” Venku sharply replied.

 

“All the same, thanks.” Edaan said.

 

“Getting back on track, yes, the Jedi Council is concerned that the ongoing civil war will spill into the adjacent sectors. And the knowledge that Natasi Daala is leading the Neo Death Watch movement is extra cause for concern, as she could drum up support across the galaxy with hardline Imperial and Galactic Alliance forces who despise the Jedi Order.” Corran said.

 

“Not to mention that the Sith Lady Vestara Khai and her master, this… ‘Dragon Lord,’ are backing my opposition, and there could be Sith among both of our forces that are stoking the flames of war to serve their own interests.” Boba said.

 

All five of the visiting Jedi’s eyes shot wide open at the mention of their two enemies, and then turned into angry stares that were directed at Edaan, who seemed to shrink at the glares that were coming his way.

 

“Edaan, what were you thinking by telling the Mandalorians about the Sith?!” Seha shockingly said to the young Palpatine.

 

“I was thinking that if I wasn’t upfront with them, they’d never agree to this alliance. Besides, I haven’t exactly done anything wrong here.” Edaan said in a pitiful attempt to defend his actions.

 

“Who else knows about the Sith’s involvement in this war?” Corran said, wanting to know just how far Edaan’s little circle of secret keepers spread.

 

“Well, there’s the Hutt Grand Council, Azzim Anjilic Atirue, the two Black Sun Vigos that I recruited, Colovo and Durge, my crew, and that’s about it.” Edaan recounted.

 

“You trusted this knowledge to Hutts? I don’t know if you’re brave or crazy. Well, more so than you already are.” Ghes said, amazed at this Jedi’s guts for trusting the Hutts that played the Yuuzhan Vong and New Republic against each other for their own benefit during the Yuuzhan Vong War.

 

“The Hutts payed for their mistakes, which include their meddling during the Great Sith War and the Galactic War.” Edaan replied, recalling the lessons he learned through the Jedi Archives and his deceased master, the Prodigal Knight, Revan. “And besides, the Hutts owed me a couple of big favors for saving the Anjilic clan’s holdings, and taking down Xasha Xizor and three Black Sun Vigos.”

 

“This is all very interesting, but can we please get back to the reason for this meeting?” Bhixen calmly said, earning an approving nod from Jaing.

 

“Finally.” Boba said with just a tiny hint of impatience. “Just how do you intend to conduct your ‘investigation’ into our civil war?”

 

“We would need to determine just how strong the Neo Death Watch is, and see if you can win this war with what the forces you currently possess. Of course, we’d do this investigation under the radar, obviously, so we don’t stir up any discord between this ‘Shadow Alliance’ of yours. And if we find that your forces are unlikely to win the war, then we’d send you some elite Imperial and Hapan reinforcements, as I’m sure that your people would not react positively to Jedi arriving on the planet _en masse_.” Corran said.

 

“At least your council is thinking things through instead of blundering into a conflict like you did at Galidraan.” Boba said. “But you do realize that, even with the leaders of the Empire and Hapes Consortium in your pocket, so to speak, their subordinates might not be so keen in sending aid to a bunch of immoral mercenaries.”

 

“He does have a point, Master Horn.” Edaan pointed out. “Fortunately, I have a lot of favors across the galaxy that I can call in if your plan fails.”

 

“What kind of favors, Edaan?” Jaing asked, even he had a pretty good idea of what the young Jedi was going to say.

 

“The Hutts, Black Sun, the planets Taris, Anzat, Kuat, Dac, Zygerria, Rodia, Falleen, Rhinnal, Rothana, and Prefsbelt, and the Imperial Mission.” Edaan said in a matter-of-fact tone, while the jaws of everyone fell agape except for Boba, Jaing, Corran, Jaden, and Barratk’l, who were already aware of this Jedi’s impressive list of accomplishments and contacts.

 

“Wait a minute, Edaan. Did you just say _Rodia_? As in the place with over a hundred million _Vongese_ living there?! Please tell me that you weren’t thinking of bringing them into this war, because if you do, then you’ll cause a civil war within a civil war! And, as we Mandalorians say, _Haatyc or'arue jate'shya ori'sol aru'ike nuhaatyc_ , which, for you Jedi, means, ‘Better one big enemy that you can see than many small ones you can't.'” Ghes said after taking about ten seconds to get his bearings in order from hearing about Edaan’s entire list of favors.

 

“I won’t lie, the thought did cross my mind to bring them into this.” Edaan admitted before continuing so no one here would have a heart attack. “But instead, I thought we’d bring in a couple of the Rodian clans and some of their best bounty hunters.” He sensed that the tension that was simmering in the room slowly began to recede.

 

“Good. For a moment there, I thought we’d have to kill you for your stupidity.” Boba nonchalantly said in response to Edaan’s plans, eliciting a chuckle from Edaan.

 

“Don’t worry, Fett, I’m not a complete _di’kut_.”

 

“You said it, I didn’t.” Fett replied, before getting back to the topic at hand. “We still have much to discuss, so I’ll have Akku get us some caf, because I have a feeling that we’re going to need it. Fair warning, it’s pretty bad, but it keeps you alert.”

 

“I’ve had my fair share of bad caf, Fett, so I think I can handle whatever you can dish out.” Jaden said, fondly remembering his adventures with Khedryn Faal and Marr Idi-Shael during their adventures after the Second Galactic Civil War.

 

 _Seven Hours Later, Onboard the_ Second Chance

“So, that about covers everything, Luke.” Corran said to a hologram of Luke. “Truth be told, the animosity between the two groups nearly got all of us into trouble more than a few times, but Edaan really stepped up in order to keep the peace between us, and we were able to reach a settlement because of him.”

 

“ _Indeed. He’s really growing up to be a strong leader._ ” Luke replied before adopting a tone suited for the former Jedi Grand Master. “ _So, to recap, you’ll investigate whether or not the Mandalorians can win this civil war with what they currently possess, while operating under Edaan’s command and helping them in covert missions._ ”

 

“All the while getting to know every Mandalorian that resides in this base.” Corran joked. “But in all seriousness, we’re lucky to get that much from Fett after the last time we worked with him.”

 

“ _True enough. So, how’s Edaan holding up with himself and his Shadow Alliance_?” Luke asked, remembering how Edaan had to brush the dark side in order to stop Xasha Xizor and her Goliath droids.

 

“So far, so good. His crew told me that he hasn’t used the force too often while here, probably in an effort to befriend the people here. And his allies seem ready to support him on a moment’s notice, including the Hutts, shipyards, and Black Sun. Anyway, he appears stable, and probably doesn’t pose a risk. Still, I’ll keep an eye on him, just to be safe.” Corran replied.

 

“ _Good. We can’t afford to lose a single Jedi Knight due to any circumstances._ ” Luke said. “ _May the Force be with you, Master Horn.”_

_“_ And with you, Luke.” Corran replied as he closed the Holonet channel between Mandalore and Shedu Maad. He then retired to the barracks where Jaden and Bhixen were already at. _Well, now that we’re in, the hard part begins. May the Force be with us._ He thought.

 

…

 

“So, how do you think the meeting went, dear?” Adari Thayn asked Edaan as they settled into their bed on the _Second Chance_.

 

“About as well as can be expected between two hostile powers, luv.” Edaan replied as he gave Adari a good-night kiss.

 

“So it went well, then? That’s good, because I don’t think that the Mandalorians could handle any more Jedi.” Adari said as she smiled at her beloved.

 

“That’s actually one of the terms of the arrangement between the Jedi and Fett. In exchange for allowing our five guests free reign during their investigation, no more Jedi, or any force sensitives can be sent to reinforce Fett’s forces. So, it’s a good thing that the Council sent the best of their warriors.” Edaan said as he returned the grin.

 

“Yeah, and the fact that they agreed to serve under you proves how much they trust you, so try not to lose it.” Adari joked as sleep began to take her.

 

Seeing his girlfriend fall asleep, Edaan gave her a kiss on her cheek before going to sleep as well.

 

As he fell into a slumber, Edaan sensed the presence of his five deceased masters enter his dreams. “So, what can I do for you, masters?” he cheerfully said.

 

“ _We just came to check up on you._ ” Qui-Gon said.

 

“ _And to congratulate you on your alliance between Jedi and Mandalorians._ ” Revan said as he materialized beside of Qui-Gon.

 

“ _And to warn you of the dangers that are coming your way._ ” Jacen said.

 

“You mean Natasi Daala, Vestara Khai, and the ‘Dragon Lord?’” Edaan inquired, expecting a “yes,” but ready for a “no.”

 

“ _Exactly, young Jedi. And we came to warn you of a great personal trial that is coming your way._ ” Meetra said.

 

“What do you mean?” Edaan asked.

 

“You are to confront one who is pivoting close to the abyss of the Dark Side of the force, even though they are not a force sensitive.” Tau said as he materialized behind Edaan.

 

“Who. Daala? Belok Rhal?” Edaan asked before realization struck him as he said the following two words with complete certainty: “Mirta Gev.” Those words elicited a nod of approval from all of his spectral masters.

 

“ _As my former pupil once said, ‘Your insight serves you well.’_ ” Qui-Gon praised his latest apprentice.

 

“But why do you want to redeem Mirta Gev when you are already going after Vestara Khai?” Meetra inquired.

 

“Because I made a promise to Ghes Orade that I would do everything in my power to bring Mirta and their children home to Ghes. And besides, you helped many people while gathering the last of the Jedi Masters of your time for a meeting before they were murdered by Darth Traya, and it proved beneficial to defeating the Sith Triumvirate. Who’s to say that saving Mirta Gev won’t prove crucial to stopping today’s Sith and their underlings?’ Edaan said, earning an approving nod from Meetra.

 

“ _You’ve learned our lessons well, young Jedi. You just might have what it takes to win this shadow war._ ”

 

“Thank you, Master Surik.”

 

“ _But what makes you think that you can redeem Mirta after all that she’s done?_ ” Jacen asked.

 

“Well, considering that you’re the one that put her on this path of self-destruction, I think it appropriate that a Jedi tries to undo the damage that a Sith Lord has done.” Edaan snarkily replied, eliciting a laugh from the late fallen Jedi.

 

“ _I see that your sense of humor hasn’t fallen out of use._ ” Jacen replied, not taking offense at the shots that the Jedi in front of him was taking.

 

“As I’ve said before, it’s a defense mechanism.” Edaan said before he turned the conversation back around to the original topic. “Can you tell me how I’ll face Mirta Gev?”

 

“ _No, young Jedi. You must discover that on your own._ ” Tau said, which elicited a sigh from Edaan, who nodded afterwards.

 

“I understand. Thank you for what guidance you could give me.”

 

“ _You’re welcome, Edaan._ ” Revan replied before continuing, saying, “ _Be cautious of the Mandalorians. They are a very honorable people, once you get to know them. But until then, you will have to continue to prove yourself to them._ ”

 

“I know, Revan. I still remember your lessons about the two Mandalorians you got to know.” Edaan said while remembering the female Mandalorian that opposed Cassus Fett’s genocidal campaign against the Cathar species during the Mandalorian Wars, and Canderous Ordo, Revan and Meetra Surik’s companion that served with them during the Second Sith War, more commonly known as the Jedi Civil War, and the Sith Civil War. Canderous also became Mandalore the Preserver two years after the Second Sith War, and tried to rally his people to work with the Republic to fight the threat of the Sith.

 

 _Too bad it didn’t last._ Edaan thought as he recalled how Mandalore the Lesser, a Resurgent Sith Empire puppet established during the Great Galactic War, rallied his people to support the Sith, paving the way for the signing of Treaty of Coruscant eight years later.

 

“Good. The knowledge that I have bestowed upon you will aid you in gaining the Mandalorians’ aid in stopping the Sith’s designs. May the Force be with you, Edaan Palpatine.” Revan said as he and the other force ghosts vanished and returned to the netherworld of the force until they chose to return.

 

After they left, Edaan slept peacefully, his mind a black abyss as no dreams entered his subconscious.

 

**And, cut! Wow, this was the longest chapter that I’ve written up to date. Sorry if this chapter didn’t provide everything that I promised, but I think that it is still an enjoyable chapter, and not just because of the EU references throughout it. Now you have a better idea of what Edaan has to face in later chapters and the next story. Whether he’ll survive unscathed or not, well, that’s up to me. Oh, and I’m sorry that this chapter took several days o write, but I wanted it to be just right. Anyway, enjoy, May the Force be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	17. Chapter 16

**Hello, my friends. Have you been collecting any good comics lately, because I know that I have? Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five #8 and Dragon Age: Magekiller #5 were released very recently, and I was one of the lucky few to get them at my local comic book store. And I am waiting for the graphic novels of _Star Wars: Kanan: Volume 2: First Blood_ and _Star Wars: Obi-Wan and Anakin_ to come out before I receive them through the internet, since, with a little tweaking, they can fit in the old timeline. Oh, and I want to thank grannyshirley05, Powerslammer, Master Skywalker 121, and drake305 for liking my story in one way or another. Anyway, time to see what our allies and enemies are up to. I hope that you enjoy.**

_Day 39 of the Shadow Alliance’s formation_

_In Orbit Above the Planet Shogun, Mandalorian Space_

Natasi Daala snarled profanity after profanity while blasting the datapad on her desk, wishing that the image was real so she could butcher the six Jedi in front of her. _WHY DO THE JEDI HAVE TO GET INVOLVED IN ALL OF MY ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE ORDER TO THE GALAXY?!_ she raged in her mind as Mirta Gev cringed at Daala’s act of violence, while Belok Rhal smiled at the display in front of him, which Mirta was quick to pick up on.

 

 _Barbaric_ dar'manda. Mirta thought as Daala beagn to calm down.

 

After taking several soothing breaths, Daala addressed the two commanders in front of her. “Please tell me that both of you have some good news right now.” She said, the tension in her voice obvious to both Mandalorians present.

 

“I do, boss.” Belok said. “The leadership on Shogun has agreed to your demands, and are agreeing to send out a message to all inhabitants of Mandalorian Space that we have received visions of you leading the Mandalorians to victory against the Jedi, Sith, and all of the galaxy’s major governments.”

 

“Excellent. Fine job, Commander Rhal. This should convince most of the holdouts of the righteousness of Neo Death Watch.” Daala replied, pleased by Belok’s news.

 

“I’m still not convinced that this is the right thing to do.” Mirta warned the others. “What if someone leaks that the supposed vision is a hoax, and that you strong armed the shamans into making up these claims? After all, there were twenty soldiers down there with Commander Rhal, and they can talk.”

 

“Already taken care of.” Belok coldly replied, eliciting a look of concern from Mirta.

 

“What do you mean?” she asked, dreading the answer, but wanting to satisfy her curiosity.

 

“I mean that they’re dead. I killed all of them by opening the airlock to the dropship after the meeting was over.” Belok stoically said, causing Mirta go slack jawed at his response.

 

“YOU WHAT?!” Mirta shouted. “Those were good and loyal soldiers, some of the best that we had! You can’t just slaughter them like that! In fact, you shouldn’t have murdered them at all!” She continued to bellow, disgusted by what Belok had done, and even more so by how calmly Daala seemed to take the news.

 

“This is a war, Mirta. If we aren’t willing to make a few sacrifices, than the Jedi and their puppets will win this war. Is that what you want?”

 

“You know me better than that, you deceiving _Schutta_. I want a strong Mandalore without the Jedi and Sith around. And while we’re on that topic, how do we know that this ‘Dragon Lord’ will keep his word and leave Mandalore alone once we help defeat the Jedi?”

 

“We won’t have to worry about him for long, Mirta. Once our position in the galaxy is secured, we can deal with the surviving force users across the galaxy.” Daala said before motioning for Mirta to end her ranting, and bring the debriefing back on track.

 

“Fine.” Mirta said, but unwilling to end this argument, but willing to put her emotions aside and focus on duty. For now. “My mission ended well enough. We captured the Intergalactic Banking Clan frigate, took out its escort before anyone could signal a distress signal, and came up with about the million credits equivalent of _beskar_.”

 

“Good. We’re almost ready to bring the fight to Fett.” Daala viciously said before snarling, saying, “And his Jedi allies.”

 

“What do you mean?” Mirta apprehensively said.

 

“According to my inside source, Edaab Palpatine called in reinforcements, and the Jedi Council sent reinforcements in the form of five additional Jedi.” Daala said, causing Mirta to gasp, and Belok to dangerously narrow his eyes.

 

“Who?” Belok growled out.

 

“Two Jedi council members, a Jedi Master, and two Jedi Knights. They’re already at Kyrimorut, and they’re planning to take the fight to us soon, so we have to preempt them before it’s too late.” Daala grimly said. “I’ll send you the full dossier on these five Jedi in one hour. In the meantime, tell your soldiers to prepare for total war.”

 

“Understood.” Belok said, while Mirta brusquely nodded.

 

_Six Hours Later_

 

For the past five hours, Mirta was flabbergasted as she read the reports come in from their mole inside Fett’s inner circle. From the files on the Jedi that Jaing sent, these five Jedi were among the best of the best that the Jedi Order had.

 

The first report was Corran Horn, one of the oldest Jedi Council Members with over five decades of combat experience as a Corellian Security Officer, or CorSec Officer, for short, during the reign of the First Galactic Empire, a Rogue Squadron fighter pilot for the New Republic, and a Jedi Master for the resurrected Jedi Order. He was also the wife of famous smuggler Mirax Terrik, and father of two veteran Jedi Knights, Valin and Jysella Horn.

 

The second intelligence file was on the Yuzzem Jedi Master Barratk’l, who was appointed on the Council twelve years ago during the Lost Tribe of the Sith Emergence by the interim Jedi Grand Master, Kenth Hamner, in the hopes of securing another Council vote. Instead, she stayed true to her principles, which gained Mirta’s grudging respect, and aided Saba Sabatyne in ousting Hamner when he proved to be unreliable, to put it lightly, and she and several other Jedi fostered slave revolts that the Mandalorians were called to crush by then Chief of State Natasi Daala.

 

The third report was on the recently promoted Jedi Master Seha Dorvald, who was sponsored into the Jedi Order by then-Jedi Knight Jacen Solo, which baffled Mirta since she would have kicked Seha out of the Order after Jacen became Darth Caedus. _Still,_ _she did prove herself during the last few wars._ Mirta reminded herself as she read about her acts of bravery during the Second Galactic Civil War, Lost Tribe of the Sith Emergence, and Invasion of Kesh.

 

The fourth file was on the green Jedi Knight, Bhixen, who, according to Jaing’s reports, had issues with his pride and powerful abilities, but proved himself under Corran Horn’s tutelage, whose compassion, patience, and understanding with Bhixen allowed him to conquer his dark side and pass the Jedi Trials two years ago. Ever since then, he had proved himself to be a levelheaded and patient Jedi, rarely losing his temper.

 

The final report was the most perplexing, rivaling Corran Horn in its record. It was on the legendary Jedi Knight Jaden Korr, who earned infamy across the Empire and Mandalorians for stopping the Disciples of Ragnos over forty years ago, and defeating her grandfather, Boba Fett, the current _Mand’alor_ of the Mandalorian people, in single combat. He was also one of the students of the current Jedi Grand Master, Kyle Katarn, and both of them had access to the full spectrum of the force and all of its abilities, both light and dark.

 

Since then, he had proven himself as a capable warrior during the Yuuzhan Vong War, Second Galactic Civil War, where Jaden committed potential war crimes against Confederate soldiers and civilian engineers, a crisis involving a Thrawn-era cloning outpost, at least nine force-sensitive clones, two Umbarans and an Anzati somehow involved, which, according to a report that Edaan made a few years ago, suggested that an unknown Sith Lord was involved, probably the “Dragon Lord” that Edaan was after, and the Lost Tribe of Sith Emergence, where he helped figure out the Lost Tribe’s strategy of building a war fleet.

 

Mirta was finding herself both incensed with the Jedi for further getting involved in her people’s war, but impressed by the fact that they warranted sending some of the Order’s best fighters. Since her grandfather was mainly dealing with a Jedi that almost behaved like a normal person, it made her further doubt the path that she was on.

 

 _It looks like_ Ba’Buir _is either more pragmatic or desperate than I thought._ Mirta thought as she went to brief her soldiers on this turn of events. She readied herself for the outrage that her men would feel upon hearing their words, and prepared to temper their anger into a blade directed at the Jedi, so that they wouldn’t destroy themselves in a _third_ civil war once the news got out.  

 

_Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

_In the Briefing Room_

 

“And that’s what Daala’s done?” Boba Fett asked while Edaan and Sintas were beside him, and Corran, Barratk’l, Jaden, Goran, and Venku watched from a distance.

 

“Ori'haat, Mand’alor _._ ” Baltan Carid said with Jaing present in holographic form. “ _She’s marshalling all of her forces for an assault on Kyrimorut. We also learned that she’ll be launching her invasion within the next two weeks, so you’d better get ready. What details we could learn are coming in now.”_

 

“What about Commander Gev?” Edaan asked, earning a look of concern form Sintas as Fett briefly turned his helmet in Edaan’s direction.

 

“ _She’s rallying her followers to prepare for war against the Jedi. According to her men, she has orders from Daala to kill any dissenters, and she isn’t taking it well_.” Jaing grimly said. After looking over his shoulder, he said, “ _May the_ manda _and force be with us all_.” The two warriors then closed the holonet channel, and left Boba, Edaan, and the others to plan their next move.

 

“So…” Edaan dragged out. “Looks like it’s time for me to call in all of my favors.”

 

“That would be a smart thing to do, Edaan.” Fett calmly said. “And let’s hope that your and Sintas’s plan to save Mirta doesn’t interfere with the war.” Boba’s words caused Edaan and Sintas to adopt looks of shock and disbelief.

 

“How did-” Edaan asked before Fett interrupted.

 

“There’s a reason that I’m the best bounty hunter in the business.” Boba nonchalantly replied, before continuing, saying, “I was playing a hunch, and it paid off.”

 

“ _Shab_ , Fett. I wonder just how well you do playing Sabaac of Pazaak?” Edaan said in amazement before hearing Corran’s whistling in order to get the attention of the three of them.

 

“I hate to interrupt this discussion of your designs, Edaan, but we need to get back to the topic at hand. Fett, how many Mandalorians does Daala currently have under her command?” Corran asked.

 

“Well, according to the reports that Jaing and Baltan sent there are… fifty thousand Mandalorians, the Zygerrian Slavers Guild that you and Atai drove off of Zygerria, and the remnants of the Maw Irregular Fleet. _Shab_.” Boba said, his tone getting grimmer and grimmer as he read the intelligence reports that his two main spies sent. Everyone else went slack jawed at the news.

 

“Fifty _thousand_?!” Edaan gasped. “How can so many soldiers follow that nutcase Daala?”

 

“Apparently, she gained ten thousand followers after the Shogun leadership declared that they had a vision of Daala conquering the galaxy and eradicating all force users. It’s most likely a hoax, but shortly after the vision was declared, the leadership was killed, one by one, and the blame was laid on our shoulders by their bodyguards.” Boba explained.

 

“Daala and her _dar’manda_ commander Rhal must have done it.” Goran growled out, surprising every Jedi present, as so far, he had proven to be a level-headed and friendly Mandalorian to all six of them, as well as Edaan’s teammates.

 

“Regardless, we’d better get to work, since we’ve got about fourteen days if we’re lucky, ten if we’re not, given the different week times in the Outer Rim, before that barvy Daala and her followers come for us.” Edaan said, earning nods from everyone present.

 

As they all departed to alert their respective allies, Edaan beckoned for Boba, Goran, Sintas, and Corran to stay.

 

“Yes, Edaan?” Corran asked.

 

After taking a deep breath, Edaan began to speak. “I have a plan to undermine Daala’s forces, but I need you to trust me.”

 

“I’m not sure if I like where this is heading, Edaan.” Sintas worriedly said.

 

“I want to get myself captured by Mirta Gev in order to convince her to switch sides.” Edaan slowly said, which made Boba raise his helmet up, which was a sign of his interest in the topic.

 

“Do you have any idea how crazy that idea sounds?!” Goran said, both amazed at the Jedi’s commitment, but perplexed at how far he would go for what he considered a lost cause.

 

“I do, Beviin, I do. But I have a plan.” Edaan simply replied.

 

“There’s no way that-” Goran yelled before Boba raised a hand in order to silence Goran from continuing his ranting.

 

“Let him talk.” Fett ordered in a tone that would brook no argument.

 

“So, three days from now, I will lead a team of scouts out to Shogun to see just what kind of artillery Daala will bring, and when the Neo Death Watch finds us, I’ll buy time for the others to get away. I will then reveal myself as a Jedi, which will cause them to want to take me alive for interrogation, where I will then say that I will only talk to Mirta Gev. When she comes, and she will, I will then use my skills to bring her back into the fold.” Edaan simply explained.

 

“Okay… but how will you stay alive long enough to meet my wayward granddaughter?” Sintas asked, worried for her new friend’s safety and sanity.

 

“I have more willpower than most people and Jedi give me credit for, Sintas.” Edaan retorted. “In the meantime, I should call in all of my favors, since time is of the essence.” He said before walking away. Before he could leave the room, he turned around and asked, “Sintas, could you please come with me. I have a vital matter that I want to discuss with you.”

 

After looking at the two other Mandalorians for approval, who nodded their consent, she quickly joined Edaan as he walked back to the _Second Chance_ to alert all of his allies of the situation.

 

“So… how are you and Adari?” Sintas asked, wanting to start the conversation off on a good note.

 

“Actually, that’s one of the things that I wanted to talk to you about. But first, how is your _Mando’a_ , and do you have a white noise machine?” Edaan asked.

 

“”Pretty good, and yes. But why do you ask?” Sintas said.

 

“Because I want to marry Adari, and I want to do it in _Mando’a_ without anyone but my crew knowng.” Edaan bluntly said.

 

**And, Scene! Well, I hope that was a surprising chapter. What do you think? Please leave me reviews with constructive criticism, as I value your input. Anyway, I hope that you appreciated the ruthlessness of Daala and Belok Rhal, the doubts of Mirta Gev (as I wanted to portray her as a tough but fair Mandalorian with at least a shred of humanity left), and the convictions and plans of Edaan. More will be revealed in the next chapter, once I get around to it, that is, as I have community college to worry about, since I’m going to be taking a summer course. May the Force be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	18. Chapter 17

**Welcome, back, Star Wars Expanded Universe lovers. Sorry if my last chapter shocked you, but… actually, that’s what I was going for, so never mind. So, what have you guys done recently? I read some five-year-old Star Wars comics recently, and they nearly brought a tear to my eye because they were so good. Of course, I’m not criticizing the new comics, I just prefer the old over the new, especially since I’m an old-school Star Wars fan of the books, comics, TV shows, and video games. By the way, have you heard that the latest Mass Effect game, Mass Effect: Andromeda, has been pushed back to the first quarter of 2017? Now that’s a real disappointment, but I can wait, not that anyone of us has a choice in the matter. Anyway, let’s get on with the story.**

Sintas must have misheard Edaan, because it sounded like he was planning to marry Adari Thayn, his Keshiri girlfriend, in _Mando’a_ , and he only wanted his crew to know about it. So she said the only rational thing that she could think of. “Are you serious?”

 

“Very.” was all that Edaan said, and that was enough for Sintas to drag Edaan by his ear to Boba Fett’s ship, _Slave I_ , for a conversation without interruption, even as Edaan continued to say “Ow” over and over again, and several Mandalorians looked on in curiosity.

 

After they entered the cargo hold of the _Slave I_ , Sintas let go of Edaan’s ear, who quickly rubbed his sore organ.

 

“What was that for?!” he incredulously asked.

 

“I just want to make sure that you haven’t finally lost your mind.” said Sintas in a nonchalant tone.

 

“What do you mean?” Edaan asked, confused as to what Sintas meant.

 

“I mean marrying your girlfriend in _Mando’a_. Do you have any idea what you’re asking? You’d have to commit the rest of your life to Mandalore, and I’m pretty sure that that’s not in the cards for your life.” Sintas explained.

 

“Not to be rude, but, as I recall from the files that the Jedi Order has on you, you married Fett when he became a Journeyman Protector on Concord Dawn, and you didn’t become a Mandalorian”

 

“Then those records are incomplete, because I _did_ become a Mandalorian, and I even had my own set of armor that was pink before I lost it when I was frozen in carbonite. My daughter, Ailyn, also followed in both my footsteps, and Bo’s, and became a Mandalorian, and so did her daughter, Mirta Gev.” Sintas angrily retorted, eliciting a look of surprise from Edaan, which satisfied her since even this Jedi had a few gaps in his repository of knowledge.

 

“Oh.” Edaan quietly said before looking sheepish as he said, “Sorry, Sintas.”

 

“Yeah, you should be.” Sintas said before calming down. “Why do you even want to marry Adari anyway?” she asked.

 

“Because one of us could die in the coming war, Sintas, and I want to show Adari just how much I love her before I set off with the scout team.”

 

“Okay, but why do you want to do it in _Mando’a_?” Sintas asked, silently vowing to pummel the Jedi to a pulp if he said “Because it’s quick.”

 

“Because… look, I’m going to be honest with you Mandalorians are a lot of things, and a lot of them are not very flattering. But you do value family very highly, as it’s one of the six tenets of your _Resol’nare_. And you have at least a few qualities that are redeeming and make you among the most sought after mercenaries all across the galaxy.” Edaan explained.

 

“Go on.” Sintas said, curious as to where he was going with this.

 

“And your marriages, while quick and… to the point, they have a meaning that most people in the galaxy take for granted. They… bestow a connection that can only be rivaled by Jedi weddings, no offense, but if you saw the holorecords of Luke and Mara’s wedding, you’d understand, and the most romantic or spiritual weddings.” He continued.

 

“I’m with you so far, but do you think that that’s what Adari wants, marrying into the _Mando’a_ for the rest of her life?” Sintas inquired.

 

“I doubt it. She’s committed to helping the Jedi and the surviving members of her people beat the Sith and the rest of our enemies.” At that second, realization hit him. “Oh man, what was I thinking?!” he exclaimed as he smacked his forehead.

 

“In what matter were you acting like a fool?” Sintas asked.

 

“I just remembered a sacred Keshiri wedding ceremony that’s rarely used in today’s era. I could ask Adari if we could do that instead.” Edaan explained, eliciting a nod of approval from Sintas.

 

“That would make more sense than doing it in _Mando’a_ , you stupid _di’kut_.” Sintas said.

 

“Agreed. Thanks for the advice, Sintas.” Edaan said as he got up from the crate that he was sitting on, stretching as he did so.

 

“Anything for a friend.” Sintas said as she opened the ramp that led out of _Slave I_.

 

“Just don’t tell anyone about my little… lapse of judgement.” Edaan practically begged, not wanting anyone to know how dumb he could be.

 

“Okay. Just keep your promise and bring Mirta and her kids home, and we’ll call it even.” Sintas replied as she led Edaan out of Boba Fett’s ship.

 

“Deal.” Edaan told his friend as he followed Sintas out of the ship. “Oh, by the way, can I borrow that white noise machine of yours.”

 

Sintas only laughed in response.

 

 _Ten Minutes Later, Outside the_ Second Chance

 

As Edaan approached his ship, he took a calming breath, used the force to slow his beating heart down to normal levels, and quietly recited the Jedi Code to himself: " _There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the force._ " After being certain that he was in complete control of his emotions, he entered the ship. As he stretched out with the force to see where Adari was, it told him that she was in the cockpit. He immediately went there.

 

When he arrived at his destination, he saw Adari, Akku, and Vua going over a holomap of the Mandalore system, along with a hologram of Azzim Anjilic Atirue, as well as his uncle, Vedo Anjiliac Atirue.

 

“ _And you’re certain that Neo Death Watch is coming to Mandalore?_ ” Azzim asked no one in particular.

 

“Completely.” Akku said. “The data we got from Boba Fett’s spies in Daala’s inner circle confirms this. We need to call in all of Edaan’s favors across the galaxy, and we need to do it fast.”

 

“ _Very well. We’ll call in all of the favors from the major shipyards. You deal with Black Sun and the remaining systems_.” Vedo said.

 

“Can we count on the support of the Hutt Grand council as well?” Vua asked, apprehensive at how the two Hutts would take to being asked a question from a member of the race that devastated so much of Hutt Space around twenty years ago, even though he was member of the Extolled.

 

“ _Definitely, Vua_.” Azzim confidently said. “ _The Hutts have benefited from working with Mandalorians for thousands of years, and we certainly do not want that relationship to change due to megalomaniacs like Daala and the Sith_.”  

 

“Excellent.” Adari said. “When the CEOs of the Shipyards ask for confirmation, just tell them that ‘Armageddon is here.’ They’ll know what that means.”

 

“ _Do you use that password for everything, Edaan?_ ” Vedo said, his voice laced with humor as he noticed the young Jedi, surprising everyone else as they turned to face Edaan.

 

“What can I say, Vedo, it helps to use what works.” Edaan nonchalantly replied. “Adari, can I get a word with you in the ship’s main hall?” he continued.

 

After getting a confirming nod from Akku and Vua, who continued to discuss the details of the invasion force coming their way, she followed Edaan into the ship’s main hall.

 

“So, what did you want to talk about, luv?” Adari asked in the adorable tone that Edaan loved so much.

 

He quickly gave her a rundown of the situation, about the reconnaissance force being sent to Shogun, and how he would be leading that force along with Robonino and Vua, while Atai would alert his people to the threat and divert all available forces to the Mandalore system, and the rest of the crew and the Jedi present would aid Boba Fett and his forces in preparing for total war. When he finished, she exclaimed, “Edaan, that’s crazy! You could be killed in leading that force!”

 

“I don’t plan on dying, darling. That’s why I plan to claim to have vital Intel on Fett’s plans, and Daala’s forces will keep my alive long enough to torture me for it.” Edaan simply said, eliciting a look of horror from his sweetheart. Before she said anything else, he continued, saying, “From there, I plan to bring Mirta Gev and her forces over to our side, which should tip the balance of power in Fett’s direction.”

 

“Okay, and just how in the name of the Force are you going to convince Mirta to defect from the cause that she gave eight years of her life towards.” Adari skeptically said.

 

“I’m… still working out the details, dear, but I have hope. And hope is one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy, as we both know.” Edaan replied, making Adari remember the difficulties that they faced in helping to liberate Kesh from the Sith’s clutches over four years ago.

 

“When do you leave?” she asked, subdued by Edaan’s responses.

 

“Within two days. But... before we go, there is an important question that I want to ask you.” Edaan said as he got down on one knee. “ _Adari Thayn_ ,” he said as he switched from speaking Basic to Keshiri. “w _ould you make me the happiest man alive, and marry me_?”

 

Adari could not believe what she was hearing. Edaan Palpatine, her beloved Jedi, was asking her to “tie the knot” with her, and marry him. It was enough to drive her to tears. As the tears liberally fell, she grabbed Edaan by his robe and gave her a kiss with as much passion and love as she could muster.

 

“Yes. Yes, yes, yes, with all my heart, yes!” She proclaimed as the rest of their crew came from various locations on the _Second Chance_.

 

“Hey, what’s all the hubbub here?” Robonino asked as he came up from navigating the narrow confines in the air vent.

 

“Yeah, how’s an Iskalloni medic supposed to get any sleep with all the racket going on in here?” Jarael angrily said as she came from her bunk.

 

“Judging from all of the noise being made from this area, the odds are three-to-one that something of critical significance has just occurred.” R2-D2 said.

 

“You presume correctly, everyone.” Edaan joyfully said. “Adari here has just agreed to marry me, and we’re going to do it in a traditional Keshiri marriage.” As soon as he finished speaking, Adari kissed him again, and this time, everyone cheered at the news, except Artoo, who beeped and warbled excitedly in droidspeak.

 

“So, when do you guys tie the knot?” Atai said.

 

“Hopefully within the next two days, as that’s when Robo and Vua come with me to Shogun.” Edaan said, baffling everyone, especially Adari.

 

“Two days?!” Adari exclaimed. “Why so soon?”

 

“Because I want to show you just how much I love you before we go our separate ways for the battle.” Edaan explained in a tender tone that touched Adari to her core.

 

“Nothing would make me happier, Edaan.” Adari said, but Edaan sensed that she wasn’t finished speaking, so he remained silent. “But I want to have something to look forward to once the battle’s over. And we can have a celebration with all of our friends here, in respect to our Mandalorian allies.” She said, remembering the talks that she had with female Mandalorians about their weddings.

 

A brief flash of disappointment came over Edaan’s eyes, which only Adari was able to see, he calmed himself and adopted a content tone. “If that is what you wish, my love, then I will wait.” He said, pleasing his betrothed.

 

“Good.” Adari said as she slowly kissed Edaan again, a kiss that he eagerly reciprocated.

 

_Meanwhile, in the Main Briefing Room in Kyrimorut_

“ _Are you positive of this intelligence?_ ” the hologram of Kyle Katarn said.

 

“Yes, Kyle. This intel came straight from Fett’s top agents, and we’ve corroborated it with the intelligence we’ve received from the Hutt Grand Council.” Corran Horn said.

 

After sighing, Kyle looked over his shoulder at something that couldn’t be seen in the hologram, he gravely said, “ _I’ll alert Queen Mother Tenel Ka and Emperor Fel of these developments, but I can’t promise that the reinforcements will arrive in time to blunt the invasion, so you’ll have to rely on Edaan’s favors in order to bolster what you have._ ”

 

“Understood, Grand Master.” Barratk’l said.

 

“ _Everyone, may the force be with you all._ ” Kyle said as he closed the Holonet channel, leaving the two Jedi Masters to gather the other Jedi under their command and tell them of the situation.

 

**Well, I hope that you enjoyed the twists and turns of this chapter, as well as the romance included, as it took me at least four days to write this chapter. By the way, I got the idea for a traditional Keshiri marriage ceremony from the fanfiction writer Electicboa, so if you’re reading this, I salute you and you pro-EU stance. I believe that I also got the information about Sintas from the Dark Horse comic book series, _Star Wars:_ _Blood Ties: Boba Fett is Dead._ Anyway, I hope that all of you have been enjoying this story, as I have a feeling that it will soon end, and the fourth story can begin. I haven’t decided what it will be called yet, so feel free to send me suggestions in your reviews. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	19. Chapter 18

**Hello, everyone. How are you doing on a warm day? I’m doing fine. By the way, if you love good fanfictions, you should check out Powerslammer’s _Rajmael of Clan Lavellan_ , a hit Dragon Age: Inquisition story, and The Incredible Muffin’s _Outcast Effect_ , a beyond brilliant crossover of the Star Wars EU (Up to the novel, _The Unifying Force_ , that is.) and Mass Effect. These are by far, my two favorite fanfictions. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of other good fanfics that I love that I’ve favorited, as well as a few authors, but these two are the ones that I look forward to the most. A shame that _Outcast Effect_ will end within the next several chapters, but hey, as the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” Anyway, let’s get on with the story. **

_Day 41 Since the Shadow Alliance’s formation. 1100 Hours._

_Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

_Docking Bay 15_

 

As the eight _Bes’uliiks_ were being fueled for their reconnaissance mission to Shogun, and the ships weapons were being upgraded for maximum efficiency, Masters Horn and Barratk’l, along with Boba Fett, Goran Beviin, Venku Skirata, and Adari Thayn briefed the eight-man team on their mission, which included Edaan Palpatine, Vua Rapuung, Robonino, Jaden Korr, Bhixen, Sintas Vel, and two Mandalorians that go by the names of Kyr’am, which, in _Mando’a_ , meant “death”, and Marev, which meant “fist.” Edaan recognized Kyr’am as the female Shistavanen that researched Seha Dorvald before the Jedi Strike Team arrived to aid Edaan in helping Boba win the Second Mandalorian Civil War, while he didn’t recognize the giant male Mandallian Giant that called himself Marev.

 

“Everyone, listen up, because I will not repeat myself. Your mission is a straightforward one. The seven of you are to enter the Shogun System and determine what ships and forces that Daala has under her command. Once you determine what Daala’s bringing to Mandalore, you are to return immediately to Kyrimorut. Command of this mission will go to Edaan and Sintas, as they have experience working together, and so the two different groups won’t fight among yourselves during the mission.” Boba Fett told the team as its eight members made sure that their handheld weapons were in optimal condition, as they could be forced to fight members of Neo Death Watch while on the surface of Shogun.

 

“ _Manda’lor_ , what if we find any potential defectors or survivors of the Shogun Council Massacre?” Sintas asked her ex-husband in an all-business tone, knowing how serious the mission was.

 

“We’ll leave that to you and Edaan’s judgement, Sintas.” Corran said after getting a nod from Fett to answer the question.

 

“And what if Daala knows that we’re coming?” Marev asked.

 

“Then you are to bug out immediately, Marev. We can’t afford to lose a single good fighter, both in ships, and people.” Goran said.

 

“Everyone, this is perhaps the most important mission that you’ve ever done. You have been selected for this mission because you are the best that Mandalore and the Jedi Order have to offer. The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. May the Force and _manda_ be with you all.”

Venku said, earning a military salute from everyone present.

 

As everyone went to their fighters to prep for their departure, Edaan was called aside by Venku, who said, “Let’s hope your plan works, and your reinforcements come in time to aid us.”

 

“Agreed, Venku.” Edaan said, before he continued, saying, “I didn’t mean to degrade the legacy of your parents and your father’s brothers, Venku. I just wanted you to have all of the facts before you started criticizing the _many_ faults of the old Jedi Order. And don’t worry, there are plenty of clone troopers that I respect, like Jangotat, Alpha, Rex, Fives, Ion Squad, and the members of Clan Skirata that refused to follow Order Sixty-Six.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m not mad anymore, Edaan. Otherwise, I’d try to blast you with a disruptor beam for unintentionally insulting my _buirs_. You’ve more than paid your debt for what you said. Now, get out of here and on with your mission.” Venku said. As Edaan turned to prepare his fighter, Venku gripped his arm in a warrior fashion, which Edaan quickly returned in respect for the old warrior.

 

“Look after the others, Jedi. We’re all going to need your leadership in the days ahead.” Venku said, dead serious in his tone, eliciting a nod of respect from Edaan.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that everyone comes back alive, Venku.” Edaan assured his new friend.

 

_Twenty Minutes Later_

 

After almost half of an hour of saying goodbyes to all of his comrades and fellow Jedi who were not going on the reconnaissance mission, Edaan and Sintas led the other six _Bes’uliiks_ out of Mandalore’s atmosphere.

 

“All fighters, this is Ghost Leader One. Prepare to jump to the Shogun System in two minutes.”

 

After checking all of his instruments and all of the weapons systems in order to make sure that they were operating at peak effiecency, Edaan followed Sintas into hyperspace, with the other six fighters following them, one after another.

 

_Meanwhile, on Ord Mantell, Fort Garnik, Big Bunji’s warehouse_

 

Big Bunji was in the middle of a drinking contest with one of his soldiers, when a 3PO protocol droid came into the bar. Curious to see what the droid had to say for itself, Big Bunji left the table and went towards the droid.

 

“What is it?” the crime lord said once he came within a foot of the protocol droid.

 

“Master Bunji, a transmission came through from the Mandalore system. I was going to disregard it, since we don’t have any assets in the system, but the message came from Akku Sei II, so I thought it best to bring the message to you.” The protocol said in a deep male voice.

 

“Akku?” Big Bunji said, before recognition jolted his mind. “You did the right thing, G-3PO. I’ll take it in my office.” He continued, thanking the droid.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

As Big Bunji sat in his office, his hologram projectors came to life, all nine of them.

 

“ _What is it?_ ” said the Chistori who called himself Desaan.

 

“There’s been a transmission from Mandalore form Akku Sei II, Edaan Palpatine’s right hand man. It says that Natasi Daala and the Neo Death Watch are mounting an assault on Mandalore, and that we need to send all available assets to these coordinates at once, in person, if we can.” Big Bunji explained, causing everyone to widen their eyes, and even gasp in a couple of instances.

 

“ _Is he crazy?! There’s no way that we can do what he asks in time._ ” Said the Iktotchi that went by the name of “Havok.”

 

“Well, Havok, the message said that the Sith were involved in this in the form of ‘Savara Raine,’ which has cost us a number of credits over the course of the last eleven years, so I think that some payback would be a prime motivator.” Big Bunji elaborated.

 

“ _Yes, that is a good reason to get involved. But it will take time to assemble our forces._ ” Bib Fortuna, the obese Twi’lek who was once the majordomo for the infamous Hutt, Jabba Desilijic Ttiure, said from his base on Tatooine.

 

“Time is something that the Mandalorians don’t have, Fortuna. According to the data packet that Akku sent me, Fett’s forces have at least eight days, twelve at the most, before Daala’s army arrives to annihilate them all. ” Big Bunji said. “My forces are preparing to debark for Mandalore within twenty-four hours. I suggest that the rest of you do the same.” he stated with all the authority he could muster, hoping that the other crime lords would follow his lead.

 

“ _Why should we aid a Jedi?_ ” a female zeltron crime lord who called herself Lyshaa asked. “ _They’ve caused our kind nothing but trouble for millennia._ ”

 

“We’re not aiding the whole Jedi Order, Lyshaa, just one rogue Jedi Knight in his quest to stop the Sith. And before you, or anyone else, says anything, remember all of the laws that cracked down on us during the First Empire’s rule, which was run by two Sith. At least the Jedi somewhat tolerate our smuggling operations, as long as we don’t smuggle anything too dangerous, that is. And who knows, helping the Jedi stop the Sith may earn us some shipping contracts, or galactic recognition as heroes at the very least.”

 

Every crime lord hung their head in defeat, as they could see the merit in Big Bunji’s words.

 

“ _I’ll start calling in all of my favors and prepare my forces to depart for Mandalore. Let’s just hope that this Jedi’s goals don’t get us all killed._ ” Havok said in a resigned tone as he signed off to call in all of his favors.

 

Every other crime lord said something similar before signing off, leaving Big Bunji to his thoughts. _May the Force be With us All._ He thought as he prepared to get his small army ready for departure.

 

_Concurrently, on the planet Myrkr, in the Myrkr system_

 

Colovo and Durge were in the middle of a well-needed rest in their two bunks when their aides came in, requesting their prescence in the comm station. They had just finished driving off the remnants of Black Sun forces that were sent to kill them and their forces for deserting the criminal organization. But thanks to a turncoat in Black Sun, they were prepared for the assault, and drove them off with minimal casualties. They even managed to recruit a few low-level soldiers to their casue and save the deserter, more than bolstering their forces.

 

That is why the two former Vigos were groggy getting up from their bunks, and made their way to the comm station in the makeshift command center.

 

“All right, what is it?” Durge said, aggravated that his aide awoke him from his deep slumber.

 

“Sir, we received a transmission from Vua Rapuung, one of Edaan Palpatine’s allies. It… well, it’s better if you read it for yourselves” said the comms-specialist as he gave a datapad to Colovo, not wanting to deal with a grumpy Gen’Dai.

 

“Thank you.” The Shi’ido said. As he read the message on the screen, he grew more and more alarmed, which worried his partner-in-crime.

 

“What’s wrong?” Durge asked.

 

“Prepare the men for departure. We need to get to Mandalore within the week. Natasi Daala and her forces are about to assault Boba Fett’s loyalists and need to get there first.” Colovo said in a dead-serious tone.

 

“I’ll get the equipment packed. You deal with the troops.” Durge said after taking a moment to regain his composure.

 

“Deal.” was all that Colovo said as the two former vigos went to handle their new responsibilities, eager to help the Jedi that saved their lives.

 

**Well, things are coming to a head now. Edaan’s forces are starting to rally. Whether or not they’ll be able to help Boba Fett win the Second Mandalorian Civil War, or arrive in time to be of any aid, is anyone’s guess. Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? Tell me what you think in reviews and emails. But please use constructive criticism, as I don’t want to deal with any hecklers or hate reviews or mail. Oh, and, SPOILER ALERT, the next chapter will feature more of Edaan’s allies. Who, though, is anyone’s guess, including mine. Have a good evening, May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	20. Chapter 19

**Hello, everyone. What are all of you good fans up to on this day? Well, for me, it hailed for a little while before letting up. Read any good books lately? I know that I have. Anyway, with the pleasantries out of the way, let’s get on with the story. I hope that all of you enjoy. Oh, by the way, in case any of you are interested, the novel that is called _Star Wars: Bloodline_ gets released today, so, if you are interested, go get it, as I’m sure that you’ll enjoy it. I, unfortunately, will not get it, as it conflicts with the original Star Wars Expanded Universe. Anyway, let’s get back to the story. **

_On the Planet Taris, in the Lower City_

The current governor of Taris, Leon Saresh, descendant of the infamous Old Republic Chancellor, Leotyne Saresh, who was best known for her tyranny during the Galactic War and occupation of the Eternal Empire under Emperor Arcann, son of perhaps the most dangerous Sith Lord of all, Vitiate, who by then went by the name of Valkorion, before being defeated by the mysterious warrior who only went by the name of “The Outlander”, was a humble man, eager to atone for the sins of his ancestors, who were legendary for their cruelty, other than a handful of members of the family that became Jedi, and even they struggled with their arrogance. That is why he had his office set up in the Lower City, in order to live amongst the people he worked for. He also urged the people of Taris to support the Jedi in all of their endeavors, as he saw them as the galaxy’s best hope for peace. Of course, this stance made him unpopular with the Galactic Senate, whose actions were very shameful, as they did not reflect the wishes of many of the citizens that they were supposed to be serving.

 

 _I suppose that’s what politics does to people, corrupts and twists them until they are serving their own selfish whims and desires._ Leon thought to himself as he addressed several major issues at once, ranging from a minor gang war between three small-time gangs, getting the Gallactic Alliance to send Customs Agents to investigate Czerka Arms’s illegal shipments of weapons and drugs for profit, and the return of the notorious criminal organization, the Exchange, whose actions began around the time of the Jedi Civil War, and going at least to the Cold War after the Great Galactic War. This was why he was content with his current position, as he could work with his surrogate family, the people of Taris.

 

As the day drew to a close, and Governor Saresh prepared to go home to rest up for another work-filled day, he received a holomessage from a Patrolian that Guun recognized as Robonino, the bounty hunter that helped now-Jedi Knight Edaan Palpatine eliminate a weapons-smuggling ring about six years ago. Ever since then, the bounty hunter had occasionally done the odd job for the governor, as there were some jobs that his security forces and militias could not handle, and required a professional’s touch.

 

“Robonino, this is a surprise. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?” Guun said in genuine surprise and pleasure, glad to hear from an old friend of his.

 

“ _Nothing, pleasant, I’m afraid._ ” The slim and tough Patrolian said, before continuing. “ _I assume that you’ve heard of the civil war going on in Mandalorian Space?_ ”

 

“Who hasn’t? Almost everyone who can is prepared to leave Taris the nanosecond the civil war gets any closer to this planet. Why do you ask?” Leon replied, worried as to where Robonino was going with this conversation.

 

“ _Our mutual and now very powerful friend requires your assistance, Leon. As we speak, he’s going to Shogun to ascertain the threat that Daala and her followers pose to the galaxy._ ” Robonino said in a grave tone.

 

“Elaborate.” was all that Leon said after Robonino stopped talking.

 

Robonino spent the next fifteen minutes explaining the situation to the Twi’lek governor, who displayed various emotions that ranged from shock, to relief, to horror. After Robonino was done detailing Edaan’s adventures and trials, all Leon could say was, “How can I help?”

 

“ _That’s it? You don’t require any more persuasion, no elaborate statistics or information?_ ” Robonino said, surprised by the governor’s willingness to help.

 

“You and Edaan helped me when I needed aid, and now it’s my turn to return the favor.” Leon said with all the authority and confidence that he could muster. “And, thanks to the the Jedi’s efforts across the galaxy, most of the citizens of Taris are sympathetic to the Jedi and their plight in the Galactic Alliance.” He continued, rembering how so many Tarisians hated the Jedi before he came to power, and he did everything in his authority to change that around, and, besides a few holdouts, the majority of the people of Taris now wanted the Jedi to aid the Galactic Alliance in their efforts to rein in the galaxy’s criminal element.   


But the majority of the Senate was too stubborn to see the many benefits on cooperation with the Jedi Order, and they still held the Order to blame for the Lost Tribe of the Sith’s devastation of Coruscant, even with the efforts of Wynn Dorvan, the current Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, to persuade them otherwise, and he and a handful of senior officials were forced to covertly work with the Jedi in their efforts to restore peace and justice across the galaxy. “So, what do you need from me?” he said after reminiscing over the Senate’s madness.

 

“ _Do you still have those mercenaries, smugglers, gangs, and bounty hunters on your payroll?_ ” Robonino asked.

 

“Of course, my old friend. After all, I am an unconventional governor.” He said with a hint of humor in his voice.

 

“ _Good. Tell them to debark for Mandalore by the day’s end with as many weapons, food, medical supplies, and hardware that they can carry. Daala and the Neo Death Watch are preparing to invade Mandalore by the end of next week, and our forces need some serious reinforcements if we’re to stand a chance of beating them and winning this war.._ ” Robonino explained.

 

“All right, I’ll spread the word. Force willing, they’ll get here in time to be of assistance.” Leon said as he began contacting the Neo Hidden Beks, a philanthropic gang, named in honor of the original Hidden Beks, which was dedicated to helping the oppressed and downtrodden Lower City citizens of Taris.

 

“ _Agreed_.” Robonino said as he ended the transmission to Taris, leaving Leon to his thoughts.

 

 _Let’s hope that Edaan and his friends can win this war. Otherwise, I can kiss my reelection goodbye. And the people of Taris still need me._ Leon reflected as he finished instructing the Neo Hidden Beks to contact everyone that was on his payroll.

 

_Meanwhile, on the Planet Rodia_

Senator Janek the White was not happy right now. He and many members of his security force, which consisted of Rodians and Yuuzhan Vong, were blasting their way back to their ship, after dealing with a nest of Yuuzhan Vong-shaped Rodians, the Vagh Rodiek, and the planet’s vongformed environment was not happy at the intrusion into their domain.

 

“Damn!” Janek said as another member of his security force went down, earlier poisoned by one of the feral amphistaffs lurking in the shadows. “How close are we to the _Nas Choka_ , men?” he yelled.

 

“Less than half a klick away, senator! We’ll be there within three minutes.” One of Janek’s Yuuzhan Vong security guards said. As the guard spoke, Janek could not help but appreciate the irony of the situation: several Extolled Yuuzhan Vong were aiding the life of a Galactic Alliance senator, who was their mortal enemy over a generation ago when he led the resistance on Rodia against the Yuuzhan Vong’s invasion of the planet, and now their second staunchest defender in a galaxy hostile to them, below the Jedi Order, of course.

 

After battling their way to the Lambada-Class shuttle sitting less than a kilometer away from them, and losing three more security guards, the six survivors of a thirty-man assault rushed into the ship’s hold, and the shuttle immediately took off. As the survivors got their bearings in order after buckling under the ship’s rushed takeoff, one of the Rodian security guards said, “You shouldn’t have come with us, Senator. You could have been killed out there!”

 

“Then I would have died alongside friends. And besides, a leader is supposed to be a shining example to others, not a simple beaurocrat that hides behind a desk to avoid facing the perils of life.” Janek said, with pride in his voice as he spoke to those that he considered to be his fellow men, his words earning a nod of respect from everyone present, even the two men up front who were piloting the ship.

 

“Sir, now that we’re outside the dead zone, a message is coming through from the hyperspace relay!” one of the pilots said.

 

“Put it through.” Janek curtly replied, still upset over the loss of most of his security detail. The holocomm came up, with the image of a male Yuuzhan Vong in a pilot’s uniform. Janek immediately recognized this man as someone who went by the name of Vua Rapuung, a legendary Yuuzhan Vong Commander who helped Anakin Solo start the Jeedai Heresy that helped to derail the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion.

 

He was a refugee leader that fought for basic rights for his Yuuzhan Vong bretheren before going to Coruscant to become a gladiator, and joining the rogue Jedi Edaan Palpatine, who aided Vua in getting citizenship for the members of his race on Rodia, and in the process, ended a potential civil war on the planet that the Galactic Alliance couldn’t be bothered to get involved in diffusing due to their petty arguments, in his unknown quest into the galactic underworld.

 

“ _Senator Janek, this is Vua Rapuung. As I speak, the radical movement called the Neo Death Watch and their leader, infamous despot, Natasi Daala, are mounting an invasion on the planet Mandalore, where Boba Fett and his allies are residing. My master, Edaan Palpatine, is leading the efforts to stop Daala, and he needs your assistance. Please send your best fighters and bounty hunters to Mandalore at once, as we have at best twelve days before Daala’s forces arrive. Oh, by the way, don’t send any of my bretheren, as it wouldn’t go over well with the Mandalorians here. May the Force be with you._ ” Vua said before the holomessage ended.

 

After a minute of having his head in his hands in response to the news, Janek sighed and ordered his pilots to take him to his clan’s stronghold, where he would rally every clan that he could, and call in every favor in his disposal in order to assist his friends.

 

_At the Same Time, on the Planet Anzat_

 

Rayder Sei was in a deep meditation inside his simple hut. He was contemplating the nature of the Anzati and their place in a changing galaxy when he heard a rustle outside his hut. _Amateurs._ He thought as he grabbed a long blade from his trunk. As he stepped outside, he nimbly dodged a feeble attack from a female Anzati before grabbing her wrist and forcing the blade from her hands.

 

“That was insufficient. If you were up against a professional when you go out into the field, you would have been killed instantly.” Rayder reprimanded his student, Saje Tasha, granddaughter of the original Saje Tasha, the murderer of the second-to-last Chancellor of the Old Republic, Finis Valorum, and an enemy of Jedi Master Quinlan Vos near the end of the Clone War.

 

“My regrets, master. I will endeavor to do better next time.” Saje promised her stern master.

 

“Unless you improve, there won’t be a next time.” Akku warned before heraing his holonet transceiver activate in his hut. “We’ll discuss this in a minute. Don’t go anywhere.” He told his student.

 

As he went back into the hut and activated the transceiver, the image of his nephew, Akku Sei II in Mandalorian armor.

 

“Akku, this is unexpected. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?” Rayder said.

 

“ _I’m sorry, uncle, but this isn’t a social call. I need your help, and I need it fast_.” Akku Sei II said, the grave look on his face reflecting the tone in his voice.

 

“What do you mean?” Rayder asked, curious as to just what his wayward nephew was up to.

 

As Akku explained just what the situation was on Mandalore, and how Natasi Daala and the Neo Death Watch were preparing to invade the Mandalore System with an army around fifty thousand strong, and how Edaan Palpatine was planning to be captured in an attempt to undermine Daala’s command, Rayder’s respect for his nephew peaked.

 

“Well, at least you’ve been busy while deserting your heritage.” Rayder said in a simultaneously, praising and mocking tone. “So, what do you need from me?”

 

“ _We need you to gather a team of the best Anzati assasins that you can gather within the next day or two, and come to Mandalore at once. We need all the help that we can get if we’re going to defeat Daala, and, as I recall, Anzati are among the best assasins in the galaxy._ ” Akku continued.

 

“It’s good that you haven’t forgotten your heritage, my lost nephew. But, why should the Anzati get involved in an outsider’s war?”

 

“ _Because this war could determine the fate of the galaxy in ways that you can’t comprehend. I’d tell you more, but I don’t want to risk this information getting into the wrong hands._ ” Akku replied.

 

“Let’s say that I do as you say. What’s in it for me and those volunteers?” Rayder inquired.

 

“ _The chance to make the Anzati into more than hired guns. And, of course, we’ll compensate you for your aid… well, if we win. Otherwise, we’ll all be dead._ ” Akku said with humor lacing his voice, earning a chuckle from his uncle.

 

“Very well, Akku, I’ll talk to my old friends and their students, and see what they have to say. Soup willing, I’ll have a small army to bring to the party.” Rayder said, convinced in the righteousness of Akku and his friends’ cause.

 

“Good. Hope to hear from you soon. May the Force and _manda_ be with you.” Akku said as he ended the holonet transmitter.

 

Rayder got up from his sitting position, and opened the door, only to find his eavesdropping apprentice just outside the door. In an effort to regain her composure, she said, “I know a few apprentices who are more than ready for a field test, and Mandalore is just the environment to see what we’ve learned.”

 

“Good. I’ll get in contact with my old friends and their apprentices, and we’ll be ready to leave within two days. Let’s get started.” Rayder said as he and his student went their respective ways.

 

**And, done. Wow, this was a good chapter. I hope you enjoyed my EU references, including the SWTOR: Knights of the Fallen Empire references. I had to be careful to be a bit ambiguous, as we don’t know who the true Outlander is, or how he manages to defeat Arcann and Vaylin, so I had to be vague. Author’s note, every character mentioned here, except for the original Saje Tasha, is an original character. Oh, and I originally was going to have Akku Sei II’s father be the older Anzati, but then I checked my previous story, and realized that I made him dead, so I had to improvise. Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter, as Edaan’s army is quickly shaping up to be a formidable force. Let’s hope it’s enough to stop Daala’s madness, though. By the way, I think that in the next chapter or two, I’ll bring the focus of the story over to Edaan, Sintas, and their team. Until then, we’ll get to see more of Edaan’s allies, but I think the next chapter will focus on the shipyards. Until then, stay strong, May the Force be with you, and Long live the Expanded Universe.**


	21. Chapter 20

**Greetings, lovers of literature. How are you doing on this fine day in May? I am fine. I just finished the last of my spring 2016 courses at my community college, and am getting ready to start my summer 2016 course. Anyway, I hope you have been enjoying my stories, as we still have a long way to go until I am done with my _Jedi Odyssey_ saga. By the way, I just wanted you to know that my brother is home for the summer, as he was away at college, so it’s good to have him home. He is currently playing the new Star Wars: Battlefront game, so he’s happy. I hope you enjoy this chapter, as it will feature some of the most famous shipyards in the EU of Star Wars. So, with all of the chitchat out of the way, let’s get started. **

_The Mon Calamari System_

_The shipyards orbiting the planet Dac/Mon Calamari/Mon Cala_

Seggor Tels was a busy Quarren. Running the planetary shipyards orbiting the planet Dac was very taxing on a person, and Seggor was no ordinary being. As one of the original saboteurs of Dac’s planetary shields just before the First Empire’s enslavement of the Mon Calamari people, Quarren, and the Whaladons, and reluctantly betraying the Rebel Alliance just before the Enslavement of Dac ended, he was surprised when the people of Dac chose him to run the shipyards. He suspected that it was because many people thought he could be manipulated as a puppet, due to his past acts of cowardice. Still, it was a task that he vowed to perform to the best of his ability. That was why he surrounded himself by very smart advisors, and kept strong ties to the rest of the galaxy, in case people, either his own or competitors tried to overthrow him, due to his pro-Jedi stance, as he recognized that they were key to ending the Yuuzhan Vong War.

 

That was why he was eager to get authorization from the Dac Board of Directors in aiding the Jedi’s mission to restore stability to the Mandalore Sector. At least, that’s what Azzim the Hutt said in his message to him. That was three hours ago, and Seggor was anxious to get things moving, since the message indicated that Edaan Palpatine, one of the Jedi that helped his request to preserve the remaining Moppa from going extince due to outsiders polluting the seas of Dac four years ago, desperately needed reinforcements, and the people of Dac were among the best shipbuilders in the business.

 

After an additional ten minutes of waiting, the R8 droid that was the messenger for the Dac Board of Directors came rolling in to Seggor’s office. It began bleeping and warbling before playing the message that Seggor had hoped for: The Board of Directors had agreed to send a small fleet of ten MC90 Capitol Ship cruisors, and the Mon Calamari Vicount-Class Star Defender, the _Nossor Ri_ , which was named after the courageous Quarren who helped unite the Quarren and Mon Calamari when Confederacy of Independent Systems commander Riff Tamson invaded Dac in the second incursion during the Clone War’s third year. S

 

eggor quickly found a commander who was willing to work alongside the Jedi and their allies, Quarren Commodore Kral “Duece” Nevil, who had a long combat record under his belt, from serving in Rogure Squadron during the Yuuzhan Vong War and working with the Jedi during the Occupation of Borleias, to serving under the Supreme Commander of the Gallactic Alliance Navy, Cha Niathal, during the Second Galactic Civil War, and aiding her in attempting to remove Darth Caedus from power, to eventually settling in as the leader of the task force ordered to protect Dac from any incursions, due to the increasing tensions brewing in the Outer Rim. It was for this reason that Seggor was meeting with Commodore Nevil, and from the look on the Commodore’s face, he was eager for some action.

 

“Do you understand the gravity of the situation, Commodore?” Seggor asked.

 

“Yes, director. I am to aid the Jedi and their allies in bringing in the former Chief of State, Natasi Daala, alive in order to have her put to trial for her crimes. In addition, I am to help Knight Palpatine in his efforts to destroy Daala’s… masters before they can cause additional strife across the galaxy.” Kral said, eager to shed Sith blood again for a righteous cause, as the last time he felt this eager was when Nek Bwua’tu recruited him to aid in stopping the Lost Tribe of the Sith’s Occupation, when he went up against Sith pilots in his Sixth Fleet _Ranger_ -Class ship.

 

“Very good. Remember, don’t let your past association with Daala’s masters interfere with your duty, which is to keep as many of your people alive as you can while you defeat the enemy.” Seggor replied, pleased with Kral’s set of priorities, before remembering to remind him of the following: “Also, follow Edaan Palpatine’s orders, no matter how… questionable or unorthodox he can be, as he is one of the few Jedi Knights of his generation that have a grasp of tactics and strategy that is second to none. And don’t worry, he isn’t Caedus or Sidious, so he won’t use your people’s lives as if they were pawns.” He said in an effort to temper Kral’s latent fears of the Sith and any Jedi that could join their ranks.

 

“Don’t worry, sir, I’ve read the reports on Edaan Palpatine, both official and unofficial, and I doubt he’ll become the next reigning Sith Lord.” Kral said in an attempt to placate Seggor, who was only looking out for Kral’s well being.

 

“Good.” Seggor said as he looked at his chrono, and then said, “It’s almost time for the fleet to deploy. You’d better get going. May the Force be with you.” Kral only nodded at the words before walking off to command the _Nossor Ri_ and the rest of the fleet that was to depart within the next hour.

 

_Concurrently, on the Planet Kuat_

Kuat Drive Yards director Kateel of Kuhlvult was nervous, which was rare for the strong woman, but natural, given what she was about to do. After getting a call from Azzim the Hutt, whose uncle, Vedo, was one of their best clients, who explained that Boba Fett, the reigning _Mand’alor_ , Kateel’s old partner from before and during the Battle of Endor when Kuat of Kuat, the previous director, tried to kill Fett for knowledge that he possessed on him and later committed suicide rather than lose control of the Kuat shipyards, needed help repelling Natasi Daala’s forces who were about to invade the planet.

 

Normally, she wouldn’t have interfered in another planet’s war, even for an old partner, but when it was revealed the Edaan Palpatine was Fett’s partner, she immediately went to work putting together a fleet from both Kuat Drive Yards and Rothana Heavy Engineering. The reason for Kateel’s quick change of heart was because, seven years ago, Edaan helped prove that the former Galactic Alliance Senator, Haydnat Treen, was one of the founders of the Lecersen Conspiracy, which got her off of Kuat, and saved Kateel the trouble of keeping her on the planet, as nothing that she could do prove any of her illegal activities. Once she told Kuat Drive Yard’s board of directors of Edaan’s involvement, they were eager to assist, as they wanted said favor with the Jedi to be quickly done so they didn’t have to worry about the young Palpatine holding this favor over their heads for the rest of his life.

 

Kuat Dive Yards and Rothana Heavy Engineering were two of the best shipbuilders in the galaxy, and between the two of them, they were able to create two fleets that, together, had five Galactic-class Battle Cruisers, Twenty Imperial II-class Star Destroyers, Fifty Lancer-class frigates, and two _Lucrehulk_ -class battleships that were filled to the brim with starfighters of various designs that were carrying the most advanced weapons that both corporations could manufacture.

 

 _An impressive fleet, especially considering that we assembled it within the last few hours. Let’s just hope it’ll be enough to save Fett and Edaan._ Kateel thought to herself as she saw the Kuat fleet go into hyperspace for Mandalore. It was then that her datapad beeped, alerting her that the Rothana fleet was going into hyperspace as well. _May the Force be with them all._ She thought as she returned to her private office to get back to running the massive corporation that was Kuat Drive Yards.

 

…

 

Across the galaxy, the rest of Edaan’s favors were called in, and all of the young Jedi’s allies raced to his aid.

 

On Zygerria, many of the planet’s royal guard and elite warriors volunteered to help Edaan.

 

On Rhinnal, ten of the planet’s best medics, as well as their support staff, prepared to head to Mandalore in order to aid their colleague, Jarael Chantique.

 

On Falleen, the governor of the planet recruited one thousand of the planet’s best fighters to aid Edaan in order to repay him for ridding her planet of the anarchist priest, Xasha Xizor, and her fanatical cult of followers.

 

On Prefsbelt, the dean of the Imperial Naval Academy of the planet agreed to send three wings of pilots in the prototype hyperspace-capable TIE fighters that were known simply as “Predators.”

 

Throughout Imperial Mission installations across the galaxy, people sent in food, medical supplies, and basic hardware for various pieces of equipment, which were transported by means of fifty Gozanti-class Cruisers.

 

The Fel Empire sent the 501st legion, the most elite Imperial legion in the galaxy, to Mandalore, and the Hapes Consortium sent a fleet of ten Hapan Battle Dragons, twenty _Nova_ -Class battle cruisers, ten Beta cruisors, and one wing of X-Wings, Miytil starfighters, and Miy’til assault bombers each.

 

_One Hour Later, in hyperspace_

Edaan Palpatine was resting in his fighter, when his console started beeping, indicating that his fighter was about to exit hyperspace. “Ghost Squadron, this is Ghost Leader Two. Prepare to exit hyperspace, and enter stealth mode.”

 

After getting a string of acknowledgements from the other pilots, Edaan went to work on his instruments. As he exited hyperspace less than a parsec away from the planet Shogun, he muttered to himself, “May the Force be with us all.”

 

**Well, that wraps up all of Edaan’s allies, and puts Edaan and his and Sintas’s squadron in the Shogun System. Let’s hope that they can stay alive long enough to learn of Daala’s invasion plans. Sorry that this chapter was shorter than the bulk of my other chapters in this story, but I wanted to wrap up all of Edaan’s allies’ preparations. By the way, both all of the characters that I mentioned in this chapter are indeed real in the Expanded Universe, if you don’t believe me, you can look them up on Wookieepedia. Please review this story, and I hope you enjoy it as it slowly comes to an end. Now, have a good night, May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	22. Chapter 21

**Hello, all my loyal fans. Oh, and just to be clear, Star Wars does not belong to me, but my OCs (Original Characters) do, so don’t try to steal them, or there will be consequences. Anyway, how have you all been enjoying my stories so far? Please tell me in reviews, as I only have a handful of them in all of my stories put together. By the way, I am sorry for the lack of action in this story, as I am not good at describing good battle scenes, but I will try to make up for it in the next story as, I’m sure that you’ve guessed by now, it will be total warfare, as you probably guessed. And let’s hope that Edaan’s plan doesn’t get his friends, both old and new, killed, as we know that he will survive for at least another year, as evidenced by the first chapter of my first story, _Jedi Odyssey: Escape_. So, with the introductions out of the way, let’s get on with the story. **

 

_Day 42 since the Shadow Alliance’s Formation, 0600 Hours._

_On the Surface of the Planet Shogun_

 

The sun was just beginning to rise over the landscape of the Planet Shogun, and Edaan and Sintas’s group of fighters used the receding darkness to cover their infiltration to within ten kilometers of Shogun’s capital city.

 

 _Any closer, and they’d probably detect us._ Edaan thought as he remembered the brief strategy conference that he had with Sintas less than a parsec away from Shogun. It was decided that they would infiltrate the capital city of Shogun in order to use the equipment there to determine just how large a force Daala was bringing to Mandalore, as a starfighter scan would give away their position, and then the fleet that the Jedi in the team sensed was gathering on the other side of Shogun when they were preparing to make a microjump to complete their journey.

 

As the eight pilots exited their _Bes’uliiks_ , they double-checked their respective weapons, as once they departed the area, there was no room for error, as they would likely be fighting for their lives every step of the way on their mission.

 

“All right, everyone, listen up. According to the schematics given to us by _Mand’alor’s_ spies, the capital city’s scanners are within the main tower. We need to get there and determine just what kind of forces are complementing Daala’s Maw Irregular Fleet. To do that, we’ll need a diversionary force in order to keep Daala’s attention occupied elsewhere.”

 

“Jaden, you will lead Vua, Bhixen, Kyr’am, and Marev in keeping the Neo Death Watch’s forces occupied in guerrilla warfare, while I take Edaan and Robonino to hack into the computers and scan Daala’s fleet. Once that is done, we are to rendezvous back at the fighters and head straight for Kyrimorut to deliver the intelligence to _Mand’alor_. Any questions?” Sintas explained to everyone present, just in case they weren’t paying attention during the past briefing outside of the Shogun System.

 

After everyone shook their heads to show that they were listening during the first briefing, Sintas said “Then let’s get to work. We don’t have much time, so we need to work fast.” As she held out her closed fist out, everyone quickly caught on and held out their fists next to the other, making a circle when the last person put his fist in there, but they had to crouch down in order for Robonino to reach the circle.

 

After about ten seconds, they all raised their fists into the air and shouted, “May the Force be with us!”

 

_One Hour Later_

 

Sintas lead her two comrades into the main tower, the way clear after disposing of the third Neo Death Watch security patrol that they had run into in the last forty-five minutes. After they entered one of the three turbolifts that led to the command center that contained the scanning equipment that they needed to get to, the three warriors stretched in order to loosen their tightened joints after all of their running and fighting.

 

“Well, that was a good run. We should do this more often.” Robonino joked as the three fighters finished stretching, earning a chuckle from Sintas.

 

“Yeah. I hope that Team Two is doing alright. I’d contact them, but I don’t want the enemy to get a fix on our location.” Sintas replied.

 

“Guys, let’s focus, please. We’re almost at the point where we have to split off., and I promised Fett that I’d get everyone back in one piece before I put my plan into motion.” Edaan said in a tone that would brook no argument.

 

“Boss, don’t worry. It’s just a little banter between friends, nothing to worry about.” Robonino said in order to calm his obviously nervous friend.

 

After taking a calming breath and calling on the Force to ease his troubled mind, he said to his longtime friend, “I’m sorry, Robonino. I’m just a little nervous, since I’m probably soon gonna be tortured by the enemy by Belok Rhal and Daala, not to mention Sintas’s wayward granddaughter. No offense, Sintas.” After he finished speaking, he remembered how Mirta Gev tortured Han Solo during a life-or-death Sabaac game with the Qreph brothers when he figured out her motives for working for those two megalomaniacs, which was to find a cure for the FG36 nanovirus that the Moff Council put into Mandalore’s atmosphere at the end of the Second Galactic Civil War.

 

“None taken, Edaan. But at least my family doesn’t have Sith blood in their veins.” Sintas retorted.

 

“True, but at least my ancestor wasn’t one of the chief architects and strategists of the Mandalorian Wars, and nearly wiped out the Cathar in vengeance.” Edaan replied, not wanting to be outdone in this insult game.

 

“Ouch. Well-played, Edaan.” Sintas said before both people heard Robonino whistle, bringing back their attention to the task at hand.

 

“If you two are done with your bantering, we’ve arrived at the command center, so let’s keep our eyes out for enemies.” Robonino said, eliciting a nod of approval from both the Jedi and Mandalorian.

 

As the door opened, the three people cautiously walked out of the turbolift, and since Edaan only sensed a handful of living beings in the center of the command center, they moved a little quicker, but still wary of droids and potential traps and security systems, moved cautiously.

 

To their luck, no such measures were in place, but what they found in the command center surprised them. In the command center were five Mandalorians, three technicians, and one male officer in an Imperial uniform that Edaan instantly recognized as Armand Vorn, the son of Natasi Daala, and aide to Mirta Gev.

 

“I was wondering when you would arrive, Edaan. I knew you were coming, but not when. And I see that you brought Sintas Vel and your friend Robonino with you. So, are you going to kill me now, or let the Admiral do it for you?” Armand said.

 

“What are you talking about?” Sintas said, suspicious of the fatalistic tone in Soontir’s voice.

 

“Mother taught me to act with honor, and fight for order, but this isn’t about order, it’s all about her twisted designs for the galaxy and the innocent. We were the only ones to oppose Daala and Belok’s massacre at Shogun, you see. It wasn’t right, killing all of those good soldiers and innocents, just to fabricate a lie. So, as a reward for our morals and common decency, we were sentenced to die on this wasteland, and our deaths would be blamed on you, and further incite our people against you.” Armand explained.

 

“Your deaths?” Edaan asked, before the pieces began to fall into place in his mind. “The lack of security, the easy kills… it was all a trap to lure us in.” he then look to his comrades in horror as Daala’s plan became apparent. “She’s going to bomb the capital in order to take us out!” he screamed, causing his two teammates to gasp in shock.

 

Sintas quickly ordered the diversion team to break off the attack and make for their fighters, while Robonino kept his blasters level at the remorseful enemies, just in case they tried to pull a fast one on them, and Edaan pulled Armand aside to talk with him.

 

“I have an idea on how we can save everyone, but I need you to listen to me.” Edaan quickly said, earning a nod from the young renegade assistant. “If you present me to Daala, then she’ll call off her bombardment, allowing both of our forces time to escape, and you’ll earn back her trust, which you can use to help me undermine Daala’s command, saving lives on both sides, and redeeming yourself in your eyes.”

 

“Why would you place your trust in me? Do you have any idea how many Jedi I helped my mother kill?” Armand said, unable to believe what the young Jedi was suggesting.

 

“Yes. Twelve.” Edaan simply said, surprising the officer, before Edaan continued, saying, “But that doesn’t matter right now. I’m offering you a way out of this dark path that your family has placed you on, and onto the road to redemption, for you and your daughter.”

 

Seeing that the man before him was still conflicted, Edaan said, “We are who we choose to be, not what our predecessors try to make us into.”

 

This seemed to register in Armand’s mind, and he quickly gained a fire in his eyes that Edaan had only seen in a handful of individuals in his travels across the galaxy, because this fire was different from others that he’d seen.

 

Where people were often motivated by greed, revenge, lust, control, and so forth, few beings were motivated by truly righteous causes, such as justice, love, compassion, and many other motivations, and the son of Natasi Daala was pushing forward in pursuit of justice, peace, and mercy, while Natasi herself seemed to be motivated by her lust for revenge on the entire galaxy for her constant life of misfortune and tragedy.

 

“And you can get my troops out of here?” Armand said, wanting to be sure that he covered all of his bases before he committed to this plan.

 

“I can get one, maybe two of your top officers out of here, but the rest will have to pretend to be loyal to your mother in order to get off of Shogun.” Edaan clarified, not wanting to get the young man’s hopes up too high.

 

“Fine, then I’ll follow your plan and let Beltan Carid go with your friends in your fighter, and the rest of us can stay here and turn you in to Daala.” Armand said as he checked his chrono and his eyes widened. He quickly said, “You guys better get out of here fast! Daala’s about to bombard the capital.”

 

“Not without the information that we came for!” Robonino said, refusing to come back to Fett empty-handed, afraid of what the _Mand’alor_ would do to him and the others for not getting that vital intelligence.

 

“I already thought of that, Robonino. Here.” Armand said as he handed a datachip to Sintas. “It’s got all of the information that you’ve got on the fleet that’s coming your way. Now go.”

 

After taking a few seconds for the three friends to say their goodbyes, and for Sintas to promise Edaan that she’d tell Adari how much he loved her, Armand knocked out Edaan, while Sintas and Robonino narrowly escaped the faux firefight that occurred in order to fool Daala.

 

Once the eight fighters took off, Armand activated the holonet transceiver, and opened a channel to his vile mother, who had a wicked grin on her face at the sight of her son who seemed to come groveling to her for aid.

 

“ _Hello, Armand. Have you reconsidered your stance?_ ” Daala said with mock concern in her voice.

 

“I have, _mother_ , and I’ve decided that I’d rather stay alive at your side than be against you and dead.” Armand ground out through gritted teeth, ashamed of himself for pretending to side with is deranged mother. “And to prove that I’m sincere, I have a gift for you.” At that utterance, the five Mandalorians presented their unconscious captive, which made Daala go mad with glee.

 

“ _You have Edaan Palpatine?! Excellent acquisition. What about his companions that came with him?_ ” Daala said.

 

“Unfortunately, they escaped with half of the data that they came for, and all but twenty members of my ‘guard’ are reporting in from across the city, now that Beltan Carid has been seen with the Jedi.” Armand smoothly lied as he calmed down, but still in anguish over all of the deaths of his kindred spirits overt Daala’s insanity, and angry over how his mother treated the Jedi as a prize instead of a person.

 

“ _The losses are regrettable, of course, as is the loss of the data, but this Jedi should more than make up for the damage done to your forces. I’ll send transports and Commander Rhal to handle transporting the Jedi over to the interrogators._ ” Daala said in mock sympathy.

 

 _I need to get to Mirta Gev._ Edaan’s voice said in Armand’s head, surprising the young man, but he kept it hidden from his mother by maintaining a stoic disposition.

 

Even though he didn’t know what for, and he barely knew the man behind him, he knew how brutal the interrogators were, especially the ones under Belok Rhal. Not wanting a man that he respected to be tortured and then killed, he decided to take a leap of faith in the young Jedi as he said, “Admiral, I think that Commander Gev should handle the interrogation, as Belok Rhal could shatter this Jedi’s mind, and then we won’t get any information our of him.”

 

Daala seemed to take in these words, and she nodded, and then said, “ _Very well, Captain. I’ll take your word for it. Commander Gev will handle the interrogation on the young Jedi. Daala out._ ”

 

Ten seconds after Daala deactivated the holonet channel, Edaan opened his eyes and said, “Your mother must be losing it if she accepted your word so quickly.”

 

“I was thinking the same thing, Edaan. By the way, did your friends escape with the intel?” Armand said thoughtfully.

 

“ Yes, I sensed that they all escaped the Shogun System, and are on their way back to Mandalore. You’d better move all of your forces to the spaceport, as Mirta Gev will not be in a happy mood.” Edaan said.

 

“You got that from the Force?” Armand asked.

 

“That, and I know how much most Mandalorians hate Jedi. Even a lot of the Mandos on Fett’s side don’t trust me, even after all the help that I provided for them.” Edaan told his curious friend.

 

_Twenty Minutes Later_

Armand Daala straightened his collar as the five shuttles landed in the spaceport, and all of his forces stood at attention as the lead shuttle’s ramp opened, revealing a female Mandalorian in sand-gold armor with short black hair. Both Armand and Edaan recognized her as Mirta Gev, one of Daala’s elite commanders and, more importantly, Boba Fett’s granddaughter, as well as the person that Edaan promised Ghes Orade and Sintas Vel that he’d bring her back over to their side.

 

“Well, you really stepped in it now, Jedi.” Armand whispered as Mirta Gev walked towards them.

 

**Phew. I am so glad that this chapter is done. I have to confess, I just found out a fascinating fanfiction that’s called Mass Effect 3: Fate of the Galaxy, and it is a great story. Anyway, this story is almost done. I can’t promise regular updates from this point on, as my Summer school course is about to begin. I hope that you have enjoyed, as this is the longest story that I’ve ever written. But, I can all but promise this, the rest of the stories are going to be even longer than this one. Oh, and I’m sorry if Daala took her son’s advice and reports too quickly, but consider this: the galaxy has taken so much from her, ask yourself what would it do to a normal person, even though Daala is far from a normal person. Just imagine what that could do to a person’s sanity, like with the Superman in the _Injustice: Gods Among Us_ comic book series. May the Force be With you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	23. Chapter 22

**Greetings, friends. Tell me something in your reviews. Does it feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle in trying to bring back the Expanded Universe, because I sometimes feel that way, especially yesterday and today? Honestly, sometimes it’s hard to go on with how much that the world has taken from me. But I must go on, as I have an unfulfilled purpose that I intend to fulfill to the best of my ability. Sorry if this stuff creeps you out or scares you, I’m just trying to express my feelings on the matter. Anyway, this story is almost over, and the action can finally kick into overdrive in the next story. I still haven’t come up with a title for the next two stories, so feel free to come up with suggestions and send them to me. Well, with that out of the way, let’s get on with the story.**

 

“So, this is the Jedi that’s been a thorn in Daala’s side?” Mirta Gev asked as she scanned the young Jedi over repeatedly with her eyes. “He’s a little shorter than I expected.” She remarked.

 

“Don’t be fooled by this man’s appearance, Commander. He’s more dangerous than any Jedi that we’ve captured. I’m still surprised that we managed to capture him.” Armand said before he continued in an attempt to cut off Mirta from asking any specific questions. “And before you ask, the fight was pretty much a blur and full of adrenaline, so it’ll be hard to recall how we captured him.”

 

“The details don’t interest me, but the information that he has on _Ba’buir’s_ forces is what’s piqued my interest.” Mirta stoically said as she turned her attention back towards Edaan and said, “I hope you’re prepared to deal with pain, as my interrogators _love_ to dish out pain.”

 

“I have some experience with pain, Mirta, but my specialty is in helping people and their pain, not causing it.” Edaan calmly replied.

 

“So you’re a healer, then? That’s surprising for a Palpatine.” Mirta said, curious as to what the young Jedi’s reaction would be.

 

“Well, I do know a bit about being a medic and healer, but I’m more of a leader and warrior than doctor.” Edaan honestly replied, knowing that lying would only aggravate the Mandalorian before him.

 

“An honest Jedi, what in the galaxy will the _manda_ think of next?” Mirta sarcastically said.

 

“How about the return of the Mandalore the Preserver so he can rally your forces against our mutual enemy, the Sith?” Edaan quipped, hoping to elicit a chuckle from Mirta, but she remained calm and collected, while a couple of Armand’s security detail chuckled at the young Jedi’s joke.

 

“You’ve studied our history, Jedi. I’m a little impressed.” Mirta said. “A shame that we have to pump you for information before Daala kills you.”

 

“Oh, I’m not going to die, Mirta. You’re going to help me escape and help your grandfather win the Second Mandalorian Civil War, and then we’re going to take the fight to the Sith before they’re ready to wage war on the galaxy.” Edaan said with all of the confidence that he could muster, which was a significant amount, considering that he was a hostage.

 

“A Jedi with a sense of humor. I guess that’s what the _manda_ thought of next. Not even my former friend, Jaina, had a sense of humor.” Mirta said with a hint of wistfulness in her voice as she recalled their time working together during Caedus’s rule, and their mutual pact not to fight each other if they were on opposite sides.

 

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry that your friendship deteriorated. Jaina spoke highly of you as an honorable warrior and mercenary before she left the Order to serve the Fel Empire, well, before you allied with the Qrephs and Savara Raine, that is.” Edaan sympathetically said.

 

“All right, that’s enough.” Mirta curtly said, coming to her senses after talking to this Jedi. “Let’s get the prisoner on the _Chimaera_ before Daala has an aneurism over excitement.”

 

“The _Chimaera_? As in the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer that was the flagship for both Grand Admirals Mitth'raw'nuruodo and Gilad Pellaeon?” Edaan blurted out, amazed that he would be on such a historic Star Destroyer.

 

“Man, my friends back home will never believe this.” Edaan said before seeing Mirta’s withering glare. “That is… if I come back alive from your… hospitality.” He corrected himself.

 

“Don’t count on it.” Mirta simply said as everyone boarded the nearest shuttle.

 

_Forty Minutes Later_

_In orbit above Shogun._

 

Edaan Palpatine got a good glimpse of the fleet assembling over Shogun, and it was alarming, to say the least. Besides the Maw Irregular Fleet, which had grown over the last eleven years and consisted of the _Chimaera_ , three _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, two _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, four _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, four _Republic_ -class cruisers, two _Scimitar_ -class frigates, four _Crusader_ -class corvettes, a dozen _Assassin_ -class corvettes, two wings of Scimitar assault bombers, four wings of TIE/LN Starfighters that, even from this distance, had heavy armaments that included proton torpedo launchers and heavy laser cannons, and three wings of fighters ranging from before the rise of the First Empire to the era of the Second Galactic Civil War, there were ten wings of _Bes’uliik_ Starfighters, four wings of _Kom’rk_ -class fighters/transports, five wings of Vyrhawk fighter-bombers, ten _Stathas_ -class freighters, two Mandalorian Dungeon ships that Edaan could only assume were to hold Daala’s prisoners, especially Jedi, ten _Keldabe_ -class battleships, fifty heavily modified Pursuer-class enforcement ships of the same model that Boba Fett used for a while as the _Slave II_ , fifty _Dreadnaught_ -class cruisers, and twenty Assault Frigates Mark II.

 

And Edaan sensed that more ships were coming closer to the Shogun system, even though they were still in hyperspace.

 

“Impressive fleet.” Edaan remarked to everyone present, especially Mirta, who was scanning the young Jedi extensively with her eyes, which Edaan was quick to pick up on. “Something I can do for you?” He cordially asked Mirta, hoping she might reveal something classified if he kept her talking for too long.

 

“Just trying to figure you out before we start probing you for information.” Mirta simply replied.

 

“What do you mean? Don’t you guys have any intelligence on me?” Edaan inquired.

 

“Yes, but our contacts only gave us facts and biographies on you and your crew. There’s no telling what they missed in your personality files.”

 

“Fair enough. But, I would prefer to talk to you about myself only in your company. You never know who could be spying on us for your superiors.”

 

“You mean Admiral Daala?”

 

“And Belok Rhal. No offense, but your choice in superiors has gotten a little… foolish, ever since you started working with Vestara Khai.”

 

“Okay, first off, Belok is my equal. And second, do you mean Savara Raine? She was a good client. The pay was good, she kept me and my people alive, and she got me home when no one, not even the vaunted Jedi Knights, would even bother with mercenaries like us.”

 

“Fair enough, but did you know that she was- I mean is- a Sith Lord?” Mirta’s eyebrows rose at that statement as Edaan continued. “She was, for a time, the Grand Lady of the Lost Tribe of the Sith before the Jedi and their allies drove them off of Kesh.” As Mirta’s mouth opened just slightly, Edaan said “You didn’t know this.”

 

“No. I suspected, but… I just did as I was told, and got a lot of money out of the deal for me and my men.”

 

“And what did it do for your conscience, I wonder?” Edaan asked, hoping that he didn’t push too far. The silence emitted from the ship was all of the answer that Edaan needed.

 

Wanting to change the topic of the conversation before things got out of hand, he changed tactics, and started to talk to Armand.

 

“So, how long has Daala been putting together this fleet? It must have gone on for at least a few years, judging by how much her fleet has grown since the last time it was seen.” Edaan asked, referring to the Battle of Exodo II that occurred twelve years ago during Natasi Daala’s attempted coup in the Imperial Remnant.

 

“A few years. She had to call in a few favors from people that she saved during the Yuuzhan Vong War, the various hard-liners in the Fel Empire, Loronar Corporation, the Corporate Sector Authority, and some contacts in… various organizations.” Armand replied as Mirta Gev and her men sent him withering glares, and his men sent nervous glances in his direction.

 

“Say no more, Captain, I perfectly understand your reluctant loyalty to your deranged mother. I’m sure that you just want your daughter to grow up in a safe galaxy.”

 

“How do you know about my daughter?” Armand incredulously asked Edaan.

 

“A bunch of Fett’s troops told me. They just love telling stories, and they are good at it. I think they have quite a number of _cyar'tomade_ among the Mandalorians at Kyrimorut.” Edaan said.

 

“You speak _Mando’a_?” One of Mirta’s guards said as the pilots started inputting the access codes for the _Chimaera’s_ hangar bay.

 

“Somewhat. The people at Kyrimorut have been teaching me, and I have to say that it is an intricate language.” Edaan said, hoping that the Mandalorians present took it as a compliment.

 

“It _is_ a complex language. Few outsiders have attempted to learn about us.” Mirta said, more than a little impressed that this Jedi would try to learn about her language and people in spite of the differences and grudges held between the Jedi and Mandalorians.   


“Then I guess I’m among that special minority.” Edaan proudly said as the shuttles entered the _Chimaera’s_ hangar. As Edaan reached out with the Force to see what was awaiting him among the Star Destroyer, he sensed two presences in the hangar bay. One was full of simmering resentment and vile hatred which Edaan could only assume to be Natasi Daala, while the other was full of an insatiable hunger for death and destruction that had to belong to Belok Rhal.

 

However, when Edaan extended his awareness, he sensed voids in the Force in various sections of the ship, which likely meant that ysalamiri, force-sensitive salamander-like creatures that were indigenous to the planet Myrkr that could create bubbles in the Force in order to protect themselves from the vornskr, predators from Myrkr that hunt force-sensitives, including the ysalamiri.

 

“You have ysalamiri on board? That’s smart, considering how many Jedi you guys have captured.” Edaan remarked. As Mirta looked on, he pushed further for information, saying, “So, am I the only guest that you have onboard this legendary ship, or are there other Jedi in the hold?”

 

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re the only Jedi we’ve had in a couple of years, so don’t expect a massive prison break like one Jedi did on the first Death Star.” Mirta said, remembering the military history that Daala showed her and her men in order to instruct them on fighting Jedi.

 

“Oh.” Was all that Edaan said as his shoulders sagged a little at the realization that no other Jedi would be able to help him. Not willing to give up hope, he asked “So, who do you have in the prisons and Mandalorian Dungeon Ships?”

 

“Mostly political prisoners and victims of both Daala and Caedus’s reigns.” Armand said, hoping that what he said would peak the Jedi’s interest and he would start to work on freeing them from captivity.

 

“Who do you… oh.” Edaan said as the clue that Armand gave him clicked with records in the Jedi Archives, both confidential and accessible, and the missing reports of important people in the Galactic Alliance.

 

“Anyway…” Mirta abruptly said in order to change the conversation before anyone gave away too much intelligence to this Jedi, no matter how much everyone grew to like him as a person, despite their cultural and historical differences. “We’re here. Try to behave yourself, Jedi. You’ll live longer, maybe long enough to see the _jetiise_ and _Ba’buir_ fall to our might.”

 

“Don’t count my friends and comrades out yet, Mirta. We’re a tough bunch. We have to be in order to survive in a galaxy where the Galactic Alliance abandoned us after all that we gave the galaxy.” Edaan countered, not wanting to let Mirta have the last word in this conversation.

 

“That’s debatable, but irrelevant. We’re here.” Mirta said as the ship finally landed in the _Chimaera’s_ hangar.

 

**Well, that ends this chapter. Sorry that it took a little while to make, but my summer course started yesterday, and my mind needed rest after over two hours of learning. By the way, all of the ships in Daala’s fleet that I mentioned are real in the Expanded Universe, and the Mando’a that I used is real as well. And, the rapport between Mirta and Edaan has begun. Just guess as to where it goes from here. Oh, and the political prisoners from both Caedus and Daala’s reigns were from an amazing fanfiction called _Beyond_  ** **_Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Invincible: Special Edition_ ** **on the Jedi Council Forums on theforce.net that was written by a brilliant manager/fanfiction writer who is called Sinrebirth, and the novel Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Vortex, respectively, as you will soon find out, so I figured that I’d admit to it before any of you fans figure it out. Sinrebirth, if you are reading this fanfic, just know that I love your story, and if I had a Jedi Council Forums account, I would ask you myself for permission to use this story, but I don’t want to get involved in all of this social media stuff. Anyway, tell me what you think of this story in reviews. May the Force be With you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe.**


	24. Chapter 23

**Greetings, Star Wars lovers. How are you doing on such a gloomy and rainy day? I’m doing fine. I recently got back from running across the area doing various tasks. Anyway, did you hear that the _Star Wars: Darth Vader_ comic book series is coming to an end after issue #25? That’s a shame, not because I read it except for the Annual comic because it didn’t conflict with the Expanded Universe too much, but since so many Star Wars fans collect it. Oh, and is it just me, or are TV shows, except for a handful, getting worse and worse. Well, with that out of the way, and with my brother playing Star Wars: Battlefront, let’s get on with the story. **

_Onboard the_ Chimaera _,_

_In Orbit Above the Planet Shogun._

As Edaan entered the hangar bay with Armand Daala and Mirta Gev leading the way, with both fightetrs’ security details coming into formation to greet Admiral Natasi Daala, the leader of Neo Death Watch, and Belok Rhal, one of the two elite commanders of Admiral Daala’s army. The two leaders were walking quickly to where the shuttle landed in order to inspect their latest prize; he took in the surroundings of the ship that he was on. To his trained eye, it was the same as any Imperial II-class Star Destroyer of the First Galactic Empire: The heavily modified TIE Fighters were assembled in racks hanging above everyone’s heads, the crew went about their duties with heavy motivation in their step as they were in the process of making history, and the droids performed the menial tasks they were given with a resigned look in their photoreceptors, at least that’s what Edaan assumed, as most droids don’t have moveable faces.

 

As Edann’s eyes were wandering, one of the guards noticed this and placed his blaster on the back of Edaan’s head and said, “Eyes forward, prisoner.”

 

“Yes sir.” Edaan said in mock submission as he focused his eyes to what was right in front of him, which presented him with a clear view of the two figures that were rapidly approaching him. The one on the right was a woman with gray-red hair, and a cybernetic eye where her organic left eye should have been. Edaan immediately recognized her as the wicked despot Natsai Daala, lover of the late Grand Moff Willhuff Tarkin, and scourge of the galaxy for over forty years. The bald man on the left was Belok Rhal, made infamous by murdering both Jedi Padawan Kani Asari and beloved reporter Madhi Vaandt in cold blood. This was never forgotten because both women were unarmed when Belok killed the two of them. He was also remembered for his siege of the Jedi Temple, and the massacre of liberated slaves at Blaudu Sextus, and both commited under Daala’s orders.

 

“I didn’t know that the top akk dogs were coming out to greet us.” Edaan quipped, eliciting a small chuckle from Armand and the troops under his command, which was quickly silenced when Daala came within twenty feet of them, as well as Belok’s intimidating glare.

 

“Welcome aboard the _Chimaera_ , Knight Palpatine. I trust the ride up here was without difficulty?” Daala said with mock hospitality.

 

“Oh, it was quite alright, Daala.” Edaan sneered out before continuing, saying, “By the way, I hope that you enjoy this power trip that you’re on, as it will be the last one that you’ll enjoy before your final fall.”

 

“A Jedi with a sense of humor. This debriefing should be interesting.” Belok said with much anticipation in his voice.

 

“’Debriefing?’ Why don’t we call ‘torture’ what it is? Or are you just another lapdog of a Tarkin loyalist?” Edaan ground out, disgusted at just how depraved Belok and Daala was. “You don’t deserve to be a Mandalorian. I call you _dar’manda_.” He continued, hoping to eliminate one of Daala’s top commanders by enraging him into making a mistake.

 

Instead, Belok simply continued to smile, the smile growing wider and wider as he said, “Oh, I’m going to enjoy killing you once we get all of your intel out of your pathetic mind.”

 

“You’ll have to get it first. And don’t think that it’ll be easy, Rhal.” Edaan warned.

 

“Enough.” Mirta said, hoping to avoid a bloodbath, as, judging from the way this Jedi carried himself, Edaan could more than back up his threats, and she didn’t want her men to die from either party’s stupidity. _Rhal and Daala be damned, my only concern is saving my people’s lives._ Mirta thought as she said, “Where do you want us to take the prisoner, Admiral?”

 

“Take him to the _Gorgon’s Vengeance_. There’s a special cell in that dungeon ship that’s been vacant for far too long.” Daala said with a hint of glee in her voice as she spoke.

 

“What, is it your Jedi cell in your favorite ship because it was named after your first command ship before you lost it to Imperial squabbling?” Edaan retorted.

 

“Yes, to all of those questions.” Daala simply replied as Edaan’s face fell at her remark and he was dragged back into the shuttle to prepare for departure by the Mandalorians present, sans Mirta and Belok, leaving the four commanders alone in the hangar bay.

 

“Did you really think that you could fool me, _son_?” Daala abruptly said as she and Belok each pulled a blaster and leveled them at Armand’s chest.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, mother.” Armand incredulously said as he attempted to maintain his composure and Mirta looked on with confusion on her face.

 

“Oh, you think I’m stupid, Armand, is that it?” Daala growled out, her tone all serious now.

 

“What’s going on?” Mirta asked, not understanding what was going on.

 

“Isn’t it obvious, Commander?” Belok Rhal said. “Armand has been recruited by Edaan to subvert our forces and allow your _Ba’buir_ to win the war.”

 

At those words, Mirta’s eyelids rose up as she turned to face Armand and said, “Is that true, Armand?”

 

After taking a deep breath to steady himself, he passionately said “Yes, it’s true, you _di’kuts_ and _aruetiise_. Edaan recruited me to help him and the true _Mand’alor_ win this insane civil war, and take the fight to the Sith, which is our true enemy, not the Jedi.”

 

“I’m disappointed in you, son. I thought I taught you to be better than some idealistic fool.” Daala practically spat out, disgusted by her son’s betrayal.

 

“You taught me to act with honor and dignity, not to behave like some megalomaniacal despot who’s bent on getting revenge on everyone who wronged you.” Armand countered.

 

“You’re going to pay for this, son. I’ll make you live long enough to see me conquer the galaxy and right the wrongs that were heaped on to me, but after that, you’re sarlacc meat.” Daala spitefully said. ‘Take him away, Supreme Commander Rhal.”

 

At those last three words, Mirta began to object to Belok’s new promotion, but Daala silenced her by pointing the blaster in her direction. “Oh, don’t worry, _Captain_ Gev, I’ll deal with you later.” She said, the underlying threat in her tone shut the female Mandalorian leader right up.

 

After seeing that Armand’s men were killed by loyal Supercommandos who snuck inside the shuttle while Edaan was being brought out for inspection, Daala went with the two remaining Mandalorians, and their military prisoner, to the command bridge to oversee the growing fleet that was supposed to launch their attack in ten days, but, thanks to this Jedi’s meddling, and since Fett would have the complete data on her fleet, would now launch their invasion in five days instead.

 

Oh, it was going to feel good, leading a fleet into battle again against her enemies. _A shame that Fett and I had to be enemies. We could have done so much good for the galaxy._ She remorsefully thought as she entered the bridge to look over various reports from the crew of the _Chimaera_.

 

Five Hours Later

In Kyrimorut, Mandalore,

 

As the eight _Bes’uliiks_ landed in the main spaceport of Kyrimorut, Corran and Barratk’l looked on with concern, as they did not sense Edaan among the landing fighters, while Boba Fett prepared to give them the news of Edaan’s plan, and Adari looked on with worry in her eyes. Once the pilots disembarked from the landing pad, they took off their helmets to reveal a wounded Beltan Carid, Jaden Korr, and Marev, while the rest of the pilots were in relatively stable condition.

 

“Did you get it?” Boba asked Sintas as she looked at her ex-husband with a forlorn look in her eyes.

 

Robonino only nodded as he gave Boba the datachip that Armand Daala gave them.

 

“Good.” Was all that Boba said.

 

“And Edaan?” Corran said, fearing the worst, but hoping for a miracle.

 

At the young Jedi’s name, Adari turned to the Jed Master and said, “That… will require some explaining.”

 

Barratk’l turned to face the young Keshiri as she growled out, “What did you and Fett do?”

 

Boba remained stoic behind his helmet as he simply said, “Not here.” He motioned for the team to follow them to the briefing room.

 

After the twelve people entered the briefing room where Ghes, Goran, and Venku were coordinating operations outside of Kyrimorut, Fett motioned for them to sit down in the table in the middle of the room.

 

“By now, Edaan’s probably in Daala’s custody, which is all part of his plan.” Boba explained.

 

“Hold on, you mean getting captured was part of his so-called plan?! What, Force tell, plan is that?” Corran said, not being able to fully wrap his mind around what was being said.

 

“His plan to bring Mirta Gev and as many of Daala’s forces as he can over to our side so they can help us end this civil war.” Sintas said.

 

“And you allowed this?” Jaden said, his stoic demeanor broken to pieces at the revelation that his fellow Jedi Knight was in the custody of a madwoman and her cohorts.

 

“He would have gone thorugh with it anyway, regardless if we approved or not.” Ghes said, joining the conversation in the hopes to diffuse the tension that was simmering in the room. “This way, we have a chance at saving more lives on both sides by causing divisions in the enemy’s ranks.”

 

“A sound strategy, but you should have cleared it with us first, Fett. We could have coordinated our efforts and gave Edaan a better chance of succeeding in his mission, or we could have sent someone else in in his stead.” Bhixen said.

 

“I don’t expect you to support every decision that we make, Jedi Bhixen, but I expect you to have some trust in your fellow Jedi. And no one else could have a chance to pull this mission off.” Boba said. “Dismissed.”

 

As Kyr’am, Marev, Bhixen, and Vua left to return to their quarters for a well-deserved rest following their mission, the remaining members of the strike team, including Beltan Carid, stayed with Corran, Barratk’l, Jaden, the remaining Mandalorians, Robonino, and Adari stayed at the briefing table, since the two Jedi Masters sent withering glares at Boba and the other mercenaries, and everyone else could feel the anger that was radiating from the two of them.

 

“Now that the others are out of the way, why don’t you tell us the real reason behind Edaan’s ridiculous plan?” Barratk’l said to Boba.

 

“Fine.” Ghes growled out after getting a shrug from Boba. “Edaan went behind enemy lines to bring Mirta back to us, so that we don’t have to kill her.”

 

“And why would he do that?” Jaden calmly said.

 

“Because he made a promise to me and Ghes, that’s why.” Sintas explained. “And this Jedi is known for keeping his promises, no matter how insane or half-cocked they may be, unlike the previous Jedi Grand Master.” she continued, and, since everyone knew what battle she was referring to, they kept quiet in order to avoid ticking her off.

 

“Wait, wait. So you’re telling me that one of the most brilliant Jedi Knights of this generation has decided to try and save a longtime associate of Vestara Khai because of a promise he made to the two of you?!” Corran said, his voice rising in tone as he continued to speak.

 

“Yes, that’s right.” Ghes stoically said.

 

“Why in the galaxy would he do something so monumentally stupid?!” Barratk’l said, both disappointed in Edaan, and furious for everyone in the briefing room keeping a secret of this magnitude.

 

“Because he wanted to fix some of the damage that Caedus dealt to the galaxy during his reign, that’s why?! He knew what it was like to lose family due to the Sith, and he wanted to help atone for the Jedi Order’s responsibility for allowing Jacen to become a hyper-dangerous Sith Lord.” Sintas screamed, sick of the Jedi insulting one of her newfound friends.

 

“Okay, but what if Daala breaks him during the interrogation, and he gives away all of the intelligence that he’s gained over the past forty-two days?” Corran asked.

 

“Daala won’t get anything from Edaan. He’ll hold on long enough for his plan to be put into motion. And hopefully, he won’t be alone.” Ghes said.

 

“What do you mean?” Jaden asked.

 

“Well, Knight Korr, the boss managed to recruit Armand Daala, Natasi Daala’s own son, and together, they plan to undermine Daala’s organization from within.” Robonino said with pride in his voice as he spoke of his closest friend.

 

“It’s a good plan. Too bad that it won’t do him much good.” Venku said from the communications console.

 

“What did you find out? Boba said as he turned his head to face Venku.

 

“That Daala’s put her own son under house arrest, and killed all of his men to avoid any sedition.” Venku said, before adding “And she’s moved up the timetable, so we now only have five days before she attacks.”

 

“So Edaan’s on his own, then.” Corran said, resigned in his tone, as he knew that there was nothing that he could do about Edaan.

 

“I’ll have my agents keep an eye on Edaan and Armand to make sure that they’re still in one piece when they get out.” Boba said in an attempt to calm the three Jedi and their friends.

 

Adari let out a sigh and said, “May the Force be with Edaan Palpatine and Armand Daala.”

 

With the briefing out of the way, everyone left the briefing room to return to their respective duties, each hoping that their friend/ally survived the coming trial in body and spirit.

 

**Whew. I’m so glad that this chapter is done. I hope you enjoyed Daala and Belok’s demented personalities, and I assure you, they’re going to get worse form this point on. Oh, and Mirta’s going to be really ticked off in the next chapter, so prepare for one angry Mandalorian. By the way, I think that I’ll end this story with Daala’s fleet attacking Mandalore. If you disagree, please send me reviews and emails with constructive criticism explaining why. So, with that out of the way, let’s end this chapter with a classic: May the Force be With you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	25. Chapter 24

**Hello, Star Wars fans. How are you doing on this fine day? Sorry that this chapter took so long to put online, but I had to put my thoughts together, and, since I started a summer course at my school, it’s been a little tougher to assemble my ideas. And I was at my grandparents’ house in Florida for a couple of days, so I didn’t have much time for writing. By the way, do you guys like my use of Mando’a in this story? I think that it is a great way of honoring Karen Traviss’s work in creating the language of the Mandalorians. Oh, and what do you think of all of the Expanded Universe references that I’ve made in all of my stories, especially the last two? Give me honest answers in reviews, as long as it is in the form of constructive criticism, as I won’t appreciate hate mail. Anyway, I planned to have a ticked off Mirta Gev in this story, and a ticked off Mirta you shall receive. And, there will be a small surprise in store for you in this chapter. Try and guess what it is. Don’t bother, as I won’t give it away. Well, with that out of the way, let’s get started on this latest chapter.**

 

_Day 43 Since the Shadow Alliance’s Formation_

_Jedi Academy, Shedu Maad_

 

“Fifty _thousand_ Mandalorians?” Luke whispered as the rest of the Jedi Council had their eyes wide open at Corran Horn’s report.

 

 _“In addition to the Zygerrian Slavers Guild, an expanded Maw Irregular Fleet, ships, weapons, and volunteers from the Corporate Sector Authority and Czerka Corporation, various planets that owe Daala favors for her actions before, during, and after the Yuuzhan Vong War, and a number of Zeshion Sha that Daala managed to recruit to her cause by promising to eliminate the Jedi and Sith from the galaxy, when, this is the ironic part, she plans to eliminate all force users in existence.”_ Boba Fett stoically said, who was beside Corran and Adari in the hologram, before continuing, saying, “ _All of the information on the fleet is in the report._ ”

 

“Even with Hapan and Imperial reinforcements nearing you, how do you hope to overcome a fleet and army of that size without any Jedi aid?” K'Kruhk said, worried over the unavoidable loss of life that was going to begin to occur in four days, as he valued all life, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.  

 

“ _We Mandalorians are a tough bunch, K’Kruhk. We can hold our own against any foe._ ” Fett confidently replied.  

 

 _“Besides, the favors that Edaan called in, and your allies, are starting to come in. We’ve already received twelve_ Turbulent _-class destroyers, the 501 st Legion, and Empress Jaina Solo Fel and a squad of he Imperial Knights as Imperial reinforcements, the two Black Sun Vigos that Edaan recruited and their forces, ten crime lords from Ord Mantell and their allies, and Zygerria and Taris have sent in royal guards and various mercenaries, respectively. Not to mention all of the other reinforcements should arrive in the system within two days.” _Adari said in an attempt to placate the Council, and to prevent them from sending any more reinforcements, as any more Jedi might cause an end to the fragile alliance that currently existed.

 

“We’ve been kept in the know about the allies that Edaan recruited.” Octa Ramis said. “Speaking of which, where is Edaan? He should be going over these reports with us.”

 

At the mention of Edaan’s name, Corran and Adari nervously looked at each other, while Fett just stood still with his usual stoic demeanor, before Corran said, “ _He’s been captured in another one of his karking schemes, and we can’t rescue him before Daala launches her invasion, so he’s on his own._ ”

 

“What do you mean, Master Horn?” Kyle said, not liking where Corran was going with this.

 

“ _What I mean, Grand Master Katarn, is that he’s decided to go after Mirta Gev in an attempt to bring her over to our side, recruited Armand Vorn to his cause, and got the two of them captured._ ” Corran said.

 

After taking a moment to absorb what was just said, Ben said, “Is he out of his flipping mind?! What makes him think that he can redeem a Sith lacky in a matter of days?”

 

“ _Because, Ben,_ ” Adari said, sick of the lack of faith that Ben didn’t have in his former apprentice, before continuing, saying, “ _he made a promise to Sintas Vel and Ghes Orade that he’d bring back Mirta Gev and her two kids, and he_ always _keeps his promises._ ”

 

“And you think that’s a good reason for him to go gallivanting across Mandalorian Space and into Natasi Daala’s clutches?!” he exclaimed.

 

“ _He’s not alone, Ben. I have my top agents keeping an eye on him and Armand._ ” Boba said.

 

“How did Armand get himself captured, anyway?” Han Solo asked Boba, both furious at Edaan for attemting to save not only Vestara, but her top accomplice as well, and impressed that he was able to convine Daala’s own son to abandon her mad crusade for a near-impossible cause.

 

“ _Apparently, Natasi was eavesdropping on her son while he and his men were on Shogun, then she had his men murdered by her loyal supercommandos, and now Armand is under house arrest. Oh, and Mirta’s been demoted to Captain for an unknown reason._ ” Boba said.

 

“Could Daala be doubting the loyalty of her, then?” T’ra Saa said.

 

“ _That’s a good possibility, Master Saa, considering that, according to Fett’s spies’ reports, Mirta’s opposed Daala’s more extreme actions and policies._ ” Corran said.

 

“Then Edaan’s reckless mission of subverting Daala’s forces from the inside may bear fruit after all.” Leia said in an attempt to calm the other agitated Jedi Masters present.

 

“ _Let’s hope so, because it’s out of our hands now._ ” Adari said, the fear in her voice for her fiancé was evident to everyone in the conversation.

 

“Anyway…” Han said, hoping to turn the conversation away from a depressing topic. “Not that I’m questioning the good fortune, Fett, but why is Jaina and the Imperial Knights there, considering the deal made between you and Edaan?”

 

“ _Well, Solo, when your Jedi Council sent out word for reinforcements in Imperial space, your daughter, the Empress herself, felt the need to aid her old friends. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I had to oblige her. I allowed her to come due to her friendships with many of my people. Her enterouge was also part of the deal, as she, apparently, has a number of political enemies, so she can’t travel anywhere without them. And, at least these force users know the value of being warriors. But, and let me emphasize this strongly, so there’s no misunderstandings, NO MORE FORCE USERS ON MY PLANET!_ ” He said, practically screaming it out at the end, shocking everyone on both ends of the holonet channel, as no one but his father, Jango Fett, had ever heard him scream.

 

It was then that a strong female voice said, “ _Oh, don’t worry,_ Mand’alor _, there will be no more force users from the Empire. At least, not under my watch.”_ The voice belonged to the woman that stepped into the holonet channel from the Imperial fleet orbiting Mandalore, Jaina Solo Fel, the last surviving child of Han and Leia Organa Solo, Empress of the Fel Empire, and before that, Jedi Council Member, and the first and only Sword of the Jedi of the resurrected Jedi Order.

 

“Jaina?” Han said, both pleased and surprised to see and hear that his daughter was in orbit around Mandalore. “What are you doing at Mandalore? I thought that you were negotiating a dispute between Dorin and Vortex.”

 

“ _The dispute was boring, which meant that it went smoothly. And when I heard that the 501 st Legion and a small fleet were heading to Mandalore on my husband’s orders due to the Jedi Council, I decided to get involved in some much-needed action. I need some adventure, as my skills are a little rusty, what with forming the Imperial Knights and attending all of these summits and meetings. And besides, my Knights need some field experience, so this way, we kill three birds with one stone._” Jaina replied.

 

“Careful, Jaina. A Jedi does not crave excitement, and you are still a Jedi in spirit, if not in body.” Luke said, a hint of amusement crept into his voice as he reminisced over all of the adventures that Jaina and her two brothers, Jacen and Anakin Solo, had gotten into in their years together while all three of them were alive.

 

“ _Sorry, Uncle Luke._ ” Jaina said, and right after she said those words, a cough turned everyone’s attention back towards Boba Fett.

 

“ _I really hate to interrupt such a sweet family reunion, but can we get back to the war meeting? Here’s a complete list of Daala’s list of favors, the ships that are under her command, and the Jedi hunters and commanders that serve her. Just don’t let this intel go to waste._ ” Boba said.

 

“Wait, Jedi hunterz? Who?” Saba asked, her interest piqued.

 

“ _Aurra Sing, Black Krrsantan, members of the Crimson Nova Chapters Guild of the reconstituted Bounty Hunters’ Guild, and a few rogue GenoHaradan assasins that feel that the Jedi don’t deserve their current status in the galaxy, and that Daala should protect the galaxy instead._ ” Boba explained.

 

“Santy and Aurra are still around?” Han said, incredulous as that two of his enemies were free after the First and Second Galactic Civil Wars, respectively.

 

“ _That’s right, Solo. Alive and active. They’re the reason that several of your Jedi have been killed, including Ohali Soroc, who, according to the files that Armand sent to us, is one of your so-called ‘Quest Knights,’ hunting for what appears to be the only weapon that can permanently kill Abeloth, the Mortis Dagger._ ” Boba confimed, bewildering everyone but Boba as he revealed that he now knew about the Quest Knights’ top-secret mission, and that one of those Knights was in Daala’s hands before being murdered. “ _Don’t worry, the rest of the Quest Knights are safe, and I want to keep it that way. I don’t want Abeloth coming back any more than you do, so I’ll keep your Knights’ mission a secret between us. As long as we take care of Daala, that is. Otherwise, all of your knights are in danger.”_ Boba continued, his words beginning to reassure everyone present as they continued the war meeting, not aware of the trees that were beginning to bear fruit in Mandalorian Space.

 

 _One Day Later, in the Shogun system Onboard the_ Chimaera

 

Mirta Gev was furious with herself for allowing such weakness to fill her. In her foolishness, she had lost command of much of her troops, who were now placed under the command of Daala’s Jedi hunters, who were, in addition to her, also under Belok Rhal’s command. Instead of commanding half of Daala’s regular troops, she only had a few hundred soldiers that remained loyal to her. Still, that left her with a substantial force that, if used correctly, could still do a substantial part in winning the Second Mandalorian Civil War. Perhaps then, Mirta could regain favor in Daala’s eyes, and regain command of all of her troops.

 

Until then, she would have to be a model soldier, which meant that she would personally oversee the interrogation of Jedi Knight Edaan Palpatine. But first, she would learn one thing from a certain prisoner, so she could better understand her most famous prisoner. That was why she was waiting for clearance from Daala’s security team in order to visit her second-most guarded prisoner: Armand Daala.

 

After waiting ten minutes, and receiving clearance from the admiral herself, Mirta was ushered into Armand’s quarters, where the man was meditating in the center of the room. Not being able to resist a barb at the sight before her, Mirta said, “What, you admire the Jedi Order so much that you are trying to emulate them?”

 

“No. It’s a coping mechanism for all of the stress and anger that I’m under right now. You try being under house arrest by your own insane mother, no offense to your mother, Mirta, and having all of your friends and comrades stabbed in the back for doing what’s right.” Armand grounded out through clenched, not opening his eyes to face the Mandalorian behind him.

 

“Oh, and you think that the Jedi haven’t stabbed anyone in their backs?” Mirta contemptuously said.

 

“You can’t keep holding Roche and _Darth Caedus_ as excuses to do terrible things, Mirta. That only makes people think of you as a whiny child.” Armand countered. “And besides, not all Jedi are alike. Just talk with Edaan without all of the torture, and you’ll see the decent man behind the armor that he’s put up to defend himself.”

 

“I doubt that a Jedi, much less a _Palpatine_ , could be a decent being, Armand. And it’s because of him that I’ve lost so much of my command.”

 

“No. It’s because Daala doesn’t want people with a soul in her organization. Why do you think that Daala sent me and my men down to Shogun? It was to die for standing up for what we believe in, and not in this mad war and the unholy alliance with the Sith.”

 

“It’s a-” Mirta began to say before being cut off.

 

“‘It’s just a means to an end. I know.’ But Daala’s trying to eradicate anyone who stands up to her, _especially_ force users. Can you imagine how many force sensitives that exist without any knowledge of their abilities? What’s Daala gonna do with them all? Enslave them? Lock them all up? Or just kill them all to save the trouble of dealing with them later? And what about the innocents that try to defend them just for existing? Daala will just massacre them all in order to strike fear into their hearts of everyone else that lives, leaving only the worst of the people in the galaxy in charge.” Armand elaborated.

 

After looking at Armand for a minute, Mirta said, “I just want a safe and secure Mandalore, free from any harm. We’ve suffered too much in the last century, ranging from the Great Clan Wars, the First Mandalorian Civil War, the Clone War, the Rise of the First Galactic Empire, the Yuuzhan Vong War, and the Second Galactic Civil War, to be bullied around anymore, while the Jedi have only had a glimpse of the suffering that we’ve been through.”

 

“I think that, deep down, you miss your family, and that, in a twisted way, you’re doing this for them, because you don’t want anyone to hurt them anymore than they already are. And the Jedi have suffered a lot as well, like during the four Great Schisms, the two Great Sith Wars, the Sith Civil War, the Treaty of Coruscant, the two Jedi Purges, the Clone War, the Yuuzhan Vong War, and every conflict after that.”

 

“And, by the way, Edaan’s not a very orthodox Jedi, so that means that he’s willing to work with people of all walks of life, like Mandaloriaans and members of the galactic underworld, so he might have more than a few things in common with both groups if you give him a chance.” Armand countered.

 

“I doubt that, considering that he’ll be dead within a few weeks.” Mirta retorted.

 

“I doubt that. In fact, I think that you’ll bust the two of us, along with all of Daala and Caedus’s prisoners out of our prisons, and lead your forces to aid your _Ba’buir_ , your husband, and Edaan in order to bring down Daala and the Sith once and for all.” Armand replied.

 

“Even if Daala can be beaten, and the ‘Dragon Lord’ are beaten by the Jedi and their allies, the Sith will return. They always return.”

 

“Not if the entire galaxy unites against them. Usually, it’s just the Jedi and the Old Republic that have lead the charge, but Edaan, a single Jedi Knight, is, bit by bit, uniting the galaxy against the Sith.”

 

Seeing that this argument would continue for hours without end if they continued, Mirta left the room, but before she could exit the door, Armand got up, went to her, put his hands on her shoulders, and said, “I have faith that you’ll know what’s right, and do the right thing when the time comes.”

 

“Then you better pray to whatever power that exists, because I doubt that I’ll do what _you_ think is right.” Mirta said with a sigh as she left the room, leaving Armand to watch as Daala’s fleet continued to grow, as fifty heavily modified _Invincible_ -class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers came out of hyperspace to supplement Daala’s already impressive fleet.

 

**And, that ends my longest chapter ever. I hope you enjoyed it, and my references to elements from both cannons. Now, before you get all mad at me for mentioning Black Krrsantan, since he’s a new canon character, let me explain. Yes, I’ve collected a few comics of the _Star Wars_ and _Darth Vader_ comic book series, but I don’t plan on collecting all of the issues, as not all of them can be tweaked into the Expanded Universe. I think that Black Krrsantan is a tough Wookiee, and could be a deadly villain in my next story. Sorry if I’ve offended you, but I am just desperate for more Star Wars material, as I can’t collect any novels for a while, as they completely throw out the Expanded Universe. Anyway, tell me what you think of the characterizations of all of the characters, ranging from Boba Fett, to Mirta Gev, and Armand Daala. Oh, and before I forget, sorry that I’ve had Armand have two last names, but from now on, I plan to have Armand called “Armand Vorn”, as he would want to be remembered by his father, who I think was a good man, as he had to be to calm a murderous lunatic like Daala, because, let’s face it, the woman’s totally insane for trying to destroy Coruscant in the Jedi Academy Trilogy, and for trying to make the New Jedi Order serve her government exclusively. So, with that our of the way, tell me what you think in reviews, as long as you give me constructive criticism, and not hate reviews like someone else that I know. May the Force be With you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	26. Chapter 25

**Hello, everyone. How are you doing on this fine spring day? I am fine, and am reading an excellent book right now. I won’t tell you what it is, so you’ll just have to guess. I also saw X-Men: Apocalypse on May 30, and it was a very good movie, despite the slight overreliance on graphics. Anyway, how are all of you enjoying my stories? Do you like them, or not? Be honest, I insist. Well, with the pleasantries out of the way, what do you say that we get started on this chapter, since I think that there are only a few chapters left in this story before we enter total war on Mandalore? Hey, “Total War” might be a good name for my next story. Give me your opinion in reviews. So, let’s get started on the chapter.**

_Day 44 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation_

_Onboard the_ Lictus _-class Dungeon ship, the_ Gorgon’s Revenge

 

Edaan was not having a good day right now, which was the understatement of the year. After being beated for two hours by electrostaffs and low-powered force pikes, not to mention by a dozen Mandalorians under Belok Rhal’s command that were infamous for their brutality, with the extremely lethal bounty hunter, Aurra Sing, watching, he was placed in a force cage. The cage was a spherical prison that was designed in the era of Emperor Palpatine in order to hold Force users, that hovered in the middle of the room that was guarded by fifty automatic turrets in the off chance that Edaan managed to get out of the cage. Finally, ten ysalamiri were strategically placed in order for their Force bubble to cover the entire prison chamber.

 

 _This must be where Daala keeps her most important prisoners._ Edaan mused as he tried and failed to enter a Jedi healing trance in order to accelerate the healing of his wounds and injuries received by Daala’s men, but his efforts were blocked by the ysalamiri in his chamber.

 

Still, even with the throbbing pain in his temples, he could hear footsteps approaching, and, as the door opened, he was surprised when Mirta Gev came into the prison. Still, he took note of how the turrets turned their blasters on her until she spoke a clearance code that was too soft for Edaan to hear, and she walked to where the cage was keeping him contained.

 

“Comfortable?” Mirta sarcastically said, a smirk on her face as she spoke.

 

“Could be worse, Commander Gev. At least I’m getting fed regularly, and I get visitors. The only problem is the lack of trust between the prisoners and guards.” Edaan quipped, hoping to elicit another smile from the Mandalorian.

 

Instead, Mirta’s smirk immediately turned into a vicious frown with a piercing glare. She then snarled out, “It’s _captain_ now, thanks to you, Jedi.”

 

“What, are you telling me that Daala punished you for befriending a prisoner?” Edaan inquired.

 

“You’re half-right on your first guess. I also got demoted for not seeing that Armand was an _aruetii_.” Mirta seethingly said.

 

“He’s no _aruetii,_ Mirta, he’s just a good soldier who’s just following his unique moral compass, just like ARC Trooper Fives from the Grand Army of the Republic.” Edaan said, all the while remembering the similarities between the two.

 

Mirta snorted at the remark, and then said, “You mean that they’re both traitors to their causes that they professed loyalty for? Because, if so, then you’re right on the mark, Jedi.”

 

“No. I mean that they were able to rise above their indoctrination and programming in order to do what was right for not just the Jedi, but for their fellow soldiers and the entire galaxy.” Edaan emphatically replied, hoping to get through to Mirta, but not expecting too much hope right at this moment.

 

“What are you talking about? Fives tried to assassinate your great-great-grandfather because the Jedi got him and another trooper, Tup, I believe his name was, infected with a parasite at Ringo Vinda, and they both went insane.” Mirta skeptically said.

 

“Actually, the truth is much more complicated than that. If you have the time, I can tell you a fascinating and very disturbing story about my great-great-grandfather’s machinations. I can assure you, it’s very riveting.”

 

“What have I got to lose, Jedi? I mean, thanks to you, I have only a few hundred troops to brief on our invasion that occurs in three days, so I’ve got some time to kill.” Mirta mockingly said.

 

_Meanwhile, on Mandalore, at Kyrimorut_

 

Boba Fett was rarely impressed, but seeing the fleet and ground forces that Edaan had assembled above Mandalore had more than impressed him, it amazed him. Seeing the best forces of the Fel Empire, Hapes Consortium, two Black Sun Vigos, the Imperial Mission, the Hutt Grand Council, the planets Taris, Anzat, Kuat, Dac, Zygerria, Rodia, Falleen, Rhinnal, Rothana, and Prefsbelt, and the forces of eleven crime lords from Ord Mantell, made him almost believe that Edaan could unite the galaxy and bring about a true, lasting peace. Of course, he was still too much of a cynic to believe that, but it helped for his forces to have hope of victory.

 

As he looked at the datapad in his hand, he skimmed over the list of the forces gathered in the system, and he was surprised at how advanced they were: Rodia sent three clans of its best warriors under the command of Galactic Alliance senator Janek the White, as well as twenty bounty hunters under Janek’s personal payroll.

 

Taris’s governor, Leon Saresh, sent the Neo Hidden Beks and several of the planet’s militias and gangs as well, which numbered at over six thousand fighters.

 

Rhinnal sent ten of its best medics and their staff members in four MedStar-class frigates to serve under Edaan’s personal medic, Jarael Chantique.

 

Falleen sent one thousand of their best fighters to aid Edaan, while Prefsbelt sent three wings of prototype hyperspace-capable TIE fighters that were designated “Predators.”

 

Kuat and Rothana sent a combined fleet of five Galactic-class Battle Cruisers, Twenty Imperial II-class Star Destroyers, Fifty Lancer-class frigates, and two heavily armed _Lucrehulk_ -class battleships that were loaded with advanced starfighters of various designs, while Dac sent a small but formidable fleet of ten MC90 Capitol Ship cruisors, and the Mon Calamari Vicount-Class Star Defender, the _Nossor Ri_ , each ship contained its fair share of fighters, under the command of the capable Commodore Kral Nevil, who had over thirty years of combat experience under his belt.

 

Anzat sent a team of elite Anzati assassins to aid Boba and Edaan, under the command of Rayder Sei.

 

The Hapes Consortium sent a considerable fleet of ten Hapan Battle Dragons, twenty _Nova_ -Class battle cruisers, ten Beta cruisors, and one wing of X-Wings, Miytil starfighters, and Miy’til assault bombers each.

 

The Imperial Mission sent fifty _Gozanti_ -class Cruisers that were full of foodstuffs, medical supplies, basic hardware, volunteers in noncombatant roles, and so forth.

 

From Ord Mantell, Big Bunji, Havok, Lyshaa, Bib Fortuna, who had moved operations from Tatooine to Ord Mantell, Desaan, and six other crime lords had sent their forces, which numbered at over two thousand, to aid the Mandalorians to repel Daala’s forces.

 

The Fel Empire sent the 501st Legion, nicknamed “Vader’s Fist” for its work for Darth Vader during the First Galactic Empire’s reign, twelve _Turbulent_ -class Star Destroyers, five _Imperial_ II-Class Star Destroyers, and ten Imperial Knights as Jaina Solo Fel’s personal retinue.

 

Zygerria sent half of its royal guard, as well as a third of its militia to aid its prime minister, Atai Molec, rid the galaxy of the Zygerria Slavers’ Guild.

 

A great number of Xasha Xizor’s followers came in shipa in various designs and sizes, such as _Vainglorius_ -class cruisers, _Consular_ -class Cruisers, _Carrack_ -class Light Cruisers with external starfighter racks, _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, and so on. The number of volunteers numbered in sixty thousand.

 

Finally, the Hutt Grand Council sent twenty _chelandion_ -class warships, twenty five Hutt Batils and Tarradas each, and thirty _Dreadnaught_ -class heavy cruisers that were modified to operate with a crew of only five thousand crewman, likely to save costs, as Boba knew how greedy that Hutts can be.

 

Since Fett was caught up in his thoughts, he was barely aware of footsteps approaching, and did not turn until someone tapped his shoulder, which caused him to turn to see Sintas Vel and Barratk’l standing behind him. “Something I can do for the two of you?” Boba asked.

 

“We just came to get you for the upcoming briefing, seeing that we’ve got less than two days until Daala launches her invasion. Something on your mind, _Mand’alor_?” Sintas asked.

 

“Just surprised at how many forces that Edaan managed to assemble to come to our aid. I have to admit, I was wrong about that Jedi, and I rarely admit that I’m wrong, so don’t go spreading that around.” Boba warned the two of them, but mostly directing that warning at the giant Yuzzem in front of him.

 

“Don’t worry, Fett. I won’t. I doubt that anyone would believe that an amoral mercenary like you could admit to being wrong.” Barratk’l said, earning a chuckle from Sintas as she continued speaking. “Do you think that we can win this war with the forces that we have?” she asked.

 

“Hard to say. I think that it will be up to the quality of the soldiers and leaders on both sides that determines who wins this civil war.” Boba honestly said, earning a nod of approval from both women present, before he continued, saying, “But, enough pleasantries. Let’s get to the war meeting.”

 

With that said, the three fighters went to the briefing room, which was full of holograms of various leaders such as Senator Janek the White, Big Bunji, and Commodore Kral Nevil.

 

“Ladies, gentlemen. It’s good to see all of you here. Now that we’ve all assembled, let’s get down to business.” Goran Beviin said, speaking on Boba’s behalf.

 

“Agreed.” Bib Fortuna said. “We didn’t travel so far to risk our lives on conversation.”

 

“You all know why you’re here.” Boba simply said.

 

“So, what’s our plan of attack?” Admiral Gavin Darklighter, the commander of the Kuat and Rothana Task Force, who, since he was inspecting the defenses of Kuat when Edaan sent out the call for support, was covertly sent, along with Rogue and Wraith Squadrons, by Galactic Alliance Chief of State Wynn Dorvan to aid the Jedi and their allies in bringing in a dangerous fugitive.

 

And with those words, the meeting commenced.

 

 _Thirty Minutes Later, on the_ Gorgon’s Revenge

“Wait, wait.” Mirta said, cutting off Edaan as he ended his story. “So, you’re telling me that the clone troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic were, as embryos, implanted with inhibitor chips by Darth Tyrannus and the Kaminoans in order to ensure that they would comply with Contingency Order Sixty-Six? And that, during the Outer Rim Sieges, one ARC Trooper under Anakin Skywalker’s command, uncovered it all, and was shot dead by one rule-loving _di'kut_ commander, his own brother, no less, for trying to kill a Sith Lord?!” she said, practically shouting the last part of the second sentence at the Jedi.

 

“Yeah. That about sums it up, Mirta.” Edaan simply said.

 

“Just how dumb was the old Jedi Order to fall for such a plot? And, even if what you say is true, why did some clones refuse to follow Order Sixty-Six?” Mirta disbelievingly said.

 

“I can’t fully answer the first one in so little time, Mirta. But, as to the second question, I have a few theories.”

 

“Go on.” Mirta said, hopng to speed up the conversation.

 

“Well, Mirta, the bulk of the troopers that refused to follow the order were either ARC Troopers, or Clone Commandos, so they either didn’t have the chips implanted in them for greater independence, their training and genetic tinkering allowed them to fight off the programming, they never directly received the order, such as the pilot who was designated HOB-147 or the trooper who became simply known as ‘Able’ who joined the Rebel Alliance before being turned into a Rakghoul, or their chips were removed at some point before the order was given. At least, those are the theories that I came up with.” Edaan explained, whose theories Mirta seemed to conider those words as she contemplated the words that were said within the last half-hour.

 

“All right. Let’s say that all that you’ve said is true. How did you come by this knowledge, and what does it have to do with the current war?” Mirta asked.

 

“I came across a brief mention of Fives’s actions in the Jedi Archives at Shedu Maad. From there, I did a bit of digging, and eventually discovered the truth. Of course, no one believed my convictions, probably because accepting the truth would mean that the Jedi were even more culpable in their downfall then they thought.” Edaan said, omitting out the part that the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn guided him when he was searching for the truth, as admitting that could lead to Mirta distrusting him even more, and he knew it wasn’t the right time to tell her of his special talents.

 

“And as for how it relates to the current civil war, well…” Edaan hesitated, trying to assemble the right words in his mind, before deciding to let the Force guide him. “many of the Mandalorians look up to the clone troopers, and see their turn against the Jedi as good soldiers simply following orders. If it came to light that they were brainwashed into doing it, it could turn your people solely against the Sith, and see the Jedi in a different light, which, I admit, is a hope of mine.”

 

“You still haven’t answered my question, Jedi. What does it have to do with the Second Mandalorian Civil War?” Mirta tensely repeated.

 

“I know that Daala is working with the Dragon Lord, a very dangerous Sith Lord, and Vestara Khai, better known to you and your people as Savara Raine, who I’ve been tracking for quite some time. I also know that, like Roly Melusar during the first year of the First Galactic Empire, she plans to betray her masters and commit genocide against all force users in the entire galaxy, regardless of their stance in the Force, and all of their other views, be it political or ideological. Ask yourself this: How many force sensitives do you think exist in Mandalorian Space, and do you think that Daala will spare them in her insane purge?” Edaan said, causing Mirta to look at the ground as she contemplated his words.

 

“ _Careful, Mirta. Don’t get caught up in this Jedi’s ideological drivel. Otherwise Daala will have to lock you up too._ ” An icy female voice said from an intercom somewhere in the room.

 

“Who is that, Mirta?” Edaan asked, knowing the voice from somewhere, but being unable to put his finger on it.

 

“Nashtah.” Mirta simply grounded out through clenched teeth. “One of Daala’s elite Jedi hunters. But your order would probably know her better as-”

 

“Aurra Sing.” Edaan whispered with a hint of fear in his voice, as all of the facts and knowledge of the former Jedi came rushing back to the forefront of his mind. Aurra Sing: former Jedi padawan under An’ya Karu, better known simply as the Dark Woman before being abandoned to pirates, being trained by Anzati assassins, and becoming one of the most infamous Jedi hunters of modern history, ranging from hunting Shared Hett, Peerce, Jax Pavan, and the then four-year-old Chume’da Allana Solo before being captured by then-Sith Apprentice Jacen Solo, she disappeared from the galaxy ever since.

 

Quickly regaining his composure, he mockingly said, “What, they let you out of the Armand Isard Maximum Correctional Facility early for good behavior, or did Daala have to bust you out to earn your undying loyalty?”

 

“ _Actually, I paid my way out. Turns out, not every public servant sees you Jedi as saints, and would like you knocked down a few pegs. And I’m just the girl to do it._ ” She proudly said.

 

“Aren’t you a little old to be called a girl, Aurra?” Edaan remarked. “What are you, like, a hundred years old now?” He said before chuckling. “And anyway, aren’t you a Force-user? What makes you think that Daala will spare you from her purge?” he said, hoping to cause divisions within Daala’s command structure by pitting her elite commanders against each other.

 

“ _There will always be Force-users out there to kill. And I’m an expert at killing Jedi and their lackeys. So, unless the Force somehow dies out within the next few years, I’m pretty much set for life._ ” Aurra replied, unaffected by Edaan’s questions.

 

“Then let’s hope that that life is a short one.” Edaan said, surpising Mirta at how ruthless he sounded with those words. Anticipating Mirta’s thoughts through the expressions in her eyes, he said, “Oh, come on, Mirta. We both know that she deserves it. She tried to assassinate a _child_ for money, for Force’s sakes.”

 

“That ‘child’ was the heir to the Hapes Consortium and the daughter of Tenel Ka and Darth Caedus, so, considering all the damage that he did to my people, it was deserved.” Mirta angrily replied, mad at being reminded at how lucky most forces sensitive children had it in life compared to ordinary people.

 

“Do you know why Jacen fell to the dark side of the force?” Edaan suddenly asked, praying that the gamble that he was about to take would not backfire.

 

“He was seduced by the Dark Lady of the Sith Lumiya, and became convinced to take over the galaxy in order to impse his own view on galactic order on the rest of the galaxy” Mirta said as if she was in a classroom, and Edaan was the teacher. Edaan simply chuckled at the answer.

 

“If you have the time, Mirta, I have another fascinating story for you. It’s quite moving, and much more logical than Jacen simply being seduced by the Dark Side.” Edaan elaborated.

 

“What’s in it for me?” Mirta asked, seething at the mention of the man who caused her and her family so much pain.

 

“Maybe the chance to let go of the pain that’s mastered you for so long, and become a stronger warrior because of it.”

 

After mulling over Edaan’s words for half a minute, she consented, if only to get Edaan closer to stop talking. “You have thirty minutes. Make it good.”

 

“Oh, I promise, Mirta, it will be riveting.” Edaan said in a sure tone.

 

**Well, that wraps up my longest chapter yet. It’s funny. I seem to write longer and longer chapters as I go along, and that wasn’t part of my plan. I just go where my muse takes me. By the way, I recently got a copy of the graphic novel, _Star Wars: Vader Down_ , and it’s pretty good. I mean, I just have to replace General Dodonna with, say Madine or Rieekan, and move the Battle of Vrogas Vas to about a year after the Battle of Yavin, it can easily fit into what I consider the true Star Wars timeline. Don’t worry, I won’t lose sight of the true timeline, I just desperately need to collect more Star Wars content, and since I can’t get any books for around a year, at the very least, and I’m not getting the video game, Star Wars: Battlefront, comics are my only source of good stories. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed all of my Expanded Universe references in this chapter, and my The Clone Wars reference, because I plan to do many more throughout my stories. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	27. Chapter 26

**Hello, everyone. I’m so sorry that it took so long to write this chapter, but I had to assemble my thoughts and come up with something good, especially since I’m kinda making it up as I go along. By the way, has it occurred to anyone that it’s been over two years since the Expanded Universe was replaced by the ‘new’ canon? I don’t know about you, but a whole myriad of emotions are going through me at the realization, ranging from outrage, to disgust, to sadness, as I know that one era has ended, and, in my honest and brutal opinion, a darker one has taken its place. If you disagree with me on that, that’s your opinion, and I respect it, but my stance on the matter will stand, regardless of what new content that I collect, such as comics (such as most of the five-issue miniseries, and Kanan), novels (if they ever get back to the Classic or Rise of the Empire era in a way that I can collect, not like the current lineup of novels), or DVDs (such as for _Star Wars: Rebels_ ). By the way, I plan to reread all of my Star Wars novels, and I mean _all_ of them, as I’ve got every book except for _Star Wars: Aftermath_ (as that book was, no offense to Chuck Wendig, the worst Star Wars book that I’ve ever read, and that’s saying something, since, before that, my least favorite book on Star Wars was _Star Wars: Crucible_ , due to the ill-treatment of Mirta Gev and Vestara Khai). Anyway, with all of the pleasantries out of the way, what do you say that we get on with the story? Okay, let’s get started. **

 

_Twenty-Five Minutes Later_

Mirta was, in a word, aghast. According to the Jedi in the force cage in front of her, Jacen Solo became Darth Caedus because he saw a vision of his daughter, Allana Solo, standing at the side of the Dragon Lord, and the galaxy falling into chaos as a result of the Second Galactic Civil War, and because of those visions, he pledged to do anything to prevent those visions from coming to pass, even order the deaths of good men and women, kill or corrupt fellow Jedi and family members, level entire cities on Fondor and burn swaths of Kashyyyk, and, just like Darth Sidious and all of the other Sith before him, impose his own Sith vision of a New Order upon the entire galaxy.

 

After shaking herself out of her stupor, Mirta shakingly said, “How do you know all of this?”

 

“Well Mirta, I hacked into the Jedi Council’s meetings and listened to all records regarding to Jacen Solo, so that I could avoid his path when I went after Vestara Khai.” Edaan said with just a hint of pride and nostalgia in his voice as he recounted all the times that he skirted the edge of the Jedi Order’s rules, conviently leaving out the fact that the spirit of Jacen Solo told him about all of this.

 

“Well, if what you say is true, then what makes you think that you’ll avoid his path?” Mirta said, still reeling from what the young Jedi said.

 

“Well, Mirta, I believe that Jacen, well-intentioned he may have been, made one crucial mistake in his undertaking. And that’s that he tried to do it all on his own.” After getting a confused look from Mirta, he continued, saying, “See, unlike him, I am not trying to carry the entire burden of my quest all on my own. I started out by having my loved ones and friends by my side in order to keep me on the straight and narrow. And now, I have the Jedi Order on my side, as well as every major galactic power, besides the Confederation and Galactic Alliance, of course, and many planet and system forces at my disposal. I’m sure that you rely on your comrades to keep you from going off of the deep end while serving a wild barv like Daala, and don’t deny that she’s not a barv since she demoted a capable leader like down to the rank of captain.”

 

At hearing her leader being called what she deserved, Mirta chuckled at this Jedi’s coarse language, as she never met a Jedi willing to tread the fine line between cursing and speaking the truth.

 

After calming herself, she said, “You’re not like most Jedi that I’ve met. That’s a compliment, by the way. They’ve all, even Jaina, been a bunch of sanctimonious _shabuirs_ that call me out for doing what I thought was best for my men.” Mirta said as she regretfully remembered how each of the dozen Jedi that she helped Daala capture died in excrutiating agony after revealing every detail that Daala and Belok Rhal wished to know about each Jedi, their missions, and the structure of the Jedi Order, as even she could see the value of basic decency.

 

“Thanks, Mirta, it’s nice to hear praise from anyone, even a temporary enemy such as yourself.” Edaan, said.

 

“’Temporary enemy?’” Mirta repeated to Edaan.

 

“Well, Mirta, by the time that I get out of here, you and your men are going to join my side and help end this mad civil war.” Edaan said with complete confidence, earning another chuckle from Mirta.

 

“I’ll say this, Jedi, you may be foolish and naïve, but you sure are persistent in whatever you set your mind to.” Mirta said, amused at how diligent this Jedi was in fulfilling his goals.

 

“ _Are you done here, because this conversation is getting boring?_ ” Aurra Sing asked from the command center of the prison.

 

“Fine.” Mirta grounded out, not liking being ordered around by a sadistic Jedi hunter.

 

“If you leave now, you’ll just come back another time.” Edaan suddenly announced as Mirta turned to leave, causing Mirta to stop in her tracks.

 

“We’ll see.” Mirta simply said as she left the chamber to return to the _Chimaera_ to brief her men, as only three days remained until the invasion to Mandalore. But before she completely left the chamber, she turned around and walked back to Edaan’s cage, where she asked, “Why would you devote time and effort to help a mercenary like me?”

 

“Because I promised Ghes, Sintas, and Boba Fett that I would bring you and your two children back to them.” Edaan said in complete honesty, shocking Mirta beyond belief.

 

For a moment, Mirta could not believe that her family still loved her after the years she put into destroying them. But then, her feelings of shock and sadness morphed into anger and disbelief as she remembered the suicide mission that her grandfather sent her on at the end of the Second Galactic Civil War, and she snarled, “Nice try, _Jedi_ , but there’s no way that _Ba’buir_ would care about me, especially after all that I’ve done to his people.”

 

“He may seem like an amoral mercenary, and… well, he is, but, deep down, he does care about his family, and about you. Jaina told me that after she cut Caedus’s arm off and escaped Nickel One, fett called her out for leaving you for dead without checking if you were still alive, and she sensed the simmering anger at possibly losing a member of his newfound family.” Edaan said.

 

As Mirta comsidered the magnitude of Edaan’s words, he continued, passionately saying, “Mirta, look at what has happened due to the Second Mandalorian Civil War, and imagine that occruing across the entire galaxy. If you help Boba and I win this war and we all work together, we have a chance to take the fight to the Sith before they’ve gathered all of their strength, and eradicate them for good, paving the way for a true, lasting, peace.”

 

“You really believe that?” Mirta skeptically asked.

 

“I do, Mirta. And I think that, deep down, you want peace too. You’ve seen what war can do to families, yours, mine, and the Solos and Skywalkers, and your doing this in order to prevent more pain from affecting Mandalore, which has suffered greatly over the millennia.” Edaan sympathetically said.

 

Before Aurra could see the tears forming in her eyes at Edaan’s words, and the information of her grandfather’s affection for her, Mirta faux-angrily grunted and quickly walked out of the chamber.

 

 _Well, I think I made some progress._ Edaan mused to himself. But his thoughts were interrupted by Aurra Sing when she said, “ _The admiral is going to want to hear about this little chat._ ”

 

“What? You spy on all of your subordinates, or is Mirta the exception?” Edaan said in a mocking tone.

 

“ _Like I’m going to reveal important information to a sniveling_ Jedi _like you._ ” Aurra amusingly retorted.

 

“Fair enough. Given how your former master treated you, I can’t blame you for leaving the Order. But I _can_ blame you for working for all kinds of lowlifes, especially the Sith.” Edaan said, specifically referring to the time when Aurra was hired by Darth Vader to hunt down Order Sixty-Six Survivor and Jedi Knight Jax Pavan.

 

“ _At least those ‘lowlifes’ are more honest than the Jedi. The Jedi take kids and indoctrinate them into doing its dirty work, while crime lords hire adults to do their bidding._ ” Aurra countered.

 

“I shouldn’t have to explain myself to the likes of you. And, before you say anything, Mirta isn’t as far gone as you and Daala, so I have a shot at bringing her back.” Edaan said, knowing that Aurra would just inform Daala of this conversation anyway, regardless of whether or not it angered either woman.

 

“ _I heard that you believed in redemption for everyone, young Jedi. Guess that the spies under our command were wrong about that one._ ” Aurra mockingly said as she locked down the chamber, and prepared to leave the _Gorgon’s Revenge_ to report the conversation to Daala.

 

 _Tweny Minutes Later, Onboard the_ Chimaera

 

Mirta Gev was ready to go to her room and retire for the evening, but there were two stops that she had to make. The first one was at Armand Vorn’s room, which was under guard by two of her former elite guards.

 

As she approached them, they held out their left hand to halt Mirta, as the guard to the right reluctantly said, “I’m sorry, Captain, but you do not have authorization to see the prisoner.”

 

“Brar, I’ve saved you and your sister’s lives so many times, I think that you owe me at least one favor. And besides, you know that I won’t try to free the the disgraced captain.” Mirta said in a tone that commanded both respect and assurance.

 

After the two siblings looked at each other, they consented and opened the door to Armand’s room. And just before Mirta went in to speak with a surprised Armand, she said to the guards “Oh, and you don’t need to report this conversation to the admiral. If you do, I’ll reveal your assets in the Bespin System that weren’t included in the war effort.” Those words caused the two guards to sweat behind their helmets, and they closed the door to Armand’s cabin and returned to their previous positions.

*

Armand Vorn was depressed beyond belief. By now, his mother was probably convincing her granddaughter, Tesla Vorn, his own child, that Edaan had killed him, just to incite her even further against the Jedi and their allies.

 

Force willing, Tesla would see through Natasi’s lies, but that hope was faint, as Natasi was a mster manipulator, something that she shared in common with the Sith whom she despised along with the Jedi. Which is why he was shocked when he saw Mirta Gev enter the room and blackmail the guards into not mentioning this conversation to Natasi.

 

“Mirta. This is a surprise. To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure of this visit?” Armand cordially said.

 

“I want to know what caused you to defect over to Edaan Palpatine’s side.” Mirta brusquely said, cutting right to the chase of the matter.

 

“Don’t you mean Edaan and your _Ba’buir’s_ side?” Armand jokingly said before getting serious, saying, “I couldn’t stand my mother’s depravities anymore. Look at what she’s done: massacring slaves who were simply fighting for their freedom, murdering Vitor Reige to try and gain more power, while leaving her Imperial allies to either rot in prison or be killed while she fled into hiding, putting people into carbonite, never mind the Horn children as they were a legitimate danger at the time, and keeping them there to make them disappear, trying to destroy Coruscant, and Dac, which were home to _trillions_ of innocent beings, the list just goes on and on. And those are just the things that we know about. Who knows what other atrocities that she’s committed over the years.”

 

“I had to take a stand, and Edaan and Boba Fett are the best chance that the galaxy has at finally destroying that nutcase. If my father were still around, he’d be disgusted at what she’s done, and no, I still don’t trust the Moffs, and I am wary of the Jedi, but the alternatives are a whole lot worse.”

 

“Like what?” Mirta sarcastically said, instantly regretting it, as she knew what was coming next.

 

“Well, if it wasn’t for the Jedi, we would be under the control of either the Yuuzhan Vong, the Sith, the Hutts, or the Pius Dea Crusaders. Oh, and let’s not forget about galactic anarchy, that’s a favorite of my mother.” Armand simply said.

 

Mirta found it hard to argue with Armand, as he was right on every historical reference that he made. And then the perfect rebuttal came to mind, “You realize that the majority of Sith predicaments have been caused by fallen Jedi, right?”

 

“True, but both of the Jedi Orders, like most galactic organizations, have done more good than bad, with the exception of the First Galactic Empire.” Armand countered.

 

Mirta was tired of all of the arguments that had occurred in this day, and wanted to spend some time with her kids before getting some sleep to brief her remaining men of the situation. “We’re getting off track, here, Armand. Why did you pick to follow Edaan specifically?” she asked.

 

“Well, Mirta, I didn’t think that anyone could beat my mother and her allies until Edaan came into the fray. He’s unlike any leader that I’ve ever met. He lives among the troops that he serves with, he tries to get to know them as people, and he leads with a firm grasp of tactics and strategy that few people can match.” Armand replied, pausing for a moment in order to put his next words together. “But you could find that in any good general or admiral. No, what makes Edaan truly special is his ability to connect with other beings in a supernatural sense. He can sense the pain of others, and tries his best to help them, earning their loyalty as a result.”

 

“So, you’re saying that Edaan brainwashes them as a result of ‘connecting’ with them?” Mirta said, now fearful of her own mental faculties being compromised as a result of her interactions with the Jedi.

 

“No, his moral code prevents him from doing that. He leaves people with the choice to follow him or not, that’s why so many people from all walks of life have signed on to his cause, and that cause is to stop the Sith from regaining power.” Armand explained in order to calm the woman in front of him before she had a panic attack.

 

After regaining her composure, she smiled smugly as she said, “Actually, according to the reports that your mother received, his main goal is to redeem Sav- I mean, Vestara Khai from the dark side. Stopping the Sith from regaining power is just a nice bonus. You didn’t receive the reports that I sent you?”

 

“No. Mother prevented me from reading them, probably realizing that I would sympathize with his cause and take my men and join him.” Armand sadly replied, ashamed at how vicious and deranged his own mother had become.

 

“Well, it looks like she was right on that count.” Mirta observantly said.

 

“Even a broken chronometer is right twice a day.” Armand agreed. Both of them then chuckled at Armand’s comment. After the laughing came to an end, Armand said, “Look, Mirta, you, me and Edaan actually have a lot in common: We’re all decendents of infamous people, we’re each fighting for our loved ones, in Edaan’s case, Vestara, his friends, and the rest of the galaxy, and we’re all warriors in a galaxy that’s hostile to each of our causes.”

 

After contemplating Armand’s words for a few seconds, Mirta sighed and said, “What would you have me do, Armand. If I try to defect over to Edaan and _Ba’buir’s_ side, Daala will kill me, my children, and the men and women under my command.”

 

“Not if we plan this desertion right. If we can time it at just the right opportunity, the two of us and Edaan can do a lot of damage to Daala’s command structure. And that way, we’ll get a little closer to a _true_ galactic peace.” Armand passionately said.

 

“Heh. You sound just like Edaan.” Mirta said as she amusingly shook her head at the former captain.

 

“Well, I had to get it from someone.” Armand amusingly said, before getting serious, saying, “You’ve got a lot to think about, Mirta. Why don’t you go spend some time with your kids before the war hits home?”

 

Deciding to take Armand’s advice, she nodded to him in thanks for the conversation before exiting the room, nodding to the two guards in regards for letting her talk to the prisoner, and headed to her quarters onboard the _Chimeara_ , where her two children were currently residing. As she arrived at her room, she heard the sounds of grunting in there, and when she entered the room, she was both amused and proud of the sight before her: her two children, her five-year-old son, Ralo, and her seven-year-old daughter, Bria, whose names were chosen in order to pay her respects to two great warriors, even if they were for the Old Republic and Rebel Alliance, respectively, were doing two-armed push-ups with a punching their knuckles while in the air.

 

“ _Su'cuy_ , kids. I see that you’re still keeping in shape, despite my missions.” Mirta said.

 

Those words caused them to fall to the ground in joy. They quickly got up and shouted “ _Buir_!”

as they rushed to hug their mother, who lovingly embraced the two of them.

 

“How are my two strong warriors doing in their training?” Mirta playfully said.

 

“Good, mother.” Bria said, before picking up the tension in her mother’s eyes, and said, “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing, Bria, I just think that you’re going to meet your father and the rest of your family soon.” Mirta truthfully said, hiding her potentially traitorous thoughts from their children, as they deserved a little more time to be kids before becoming warriors. Those words caused her children to tense up, as the words that she used to describe them were not flattering. Seeing the alarm in their eyes, Mirta reassuringly said, “Don’t worry, I think that it’s going to be a good reunion. You’ll finally get to know your dad and grandparents.”

 

“But I thought that they were bad people, _Buir_.” Ralo said, confused at his mother’s words.

 

“No, dear. They’ve just been on the other side. In fact, I think that they were on the right song all along, and I’ve been on the wrong one. Now, you can’t tell anyone about this, alright. Not even your closest friends, okay?” After getting nods from each of them, she said, “Now, I want the two of you to listen and obey my every word for the next three days, as they’re going to be very stressful, and I’m going to be under a lot of pressure, so I need as few distractions as possible. In three days, I want the two of you to meet me at my shuttle, and we’re going to go to the _Aay'han_ at the edge of the fleet. Okay, _adike_?”

 

“Okay, _Buir_.” both of Mirta’s children said simultaneously, earning a proud nod from their mother.

 

Mirta then gently said, “Go and get ready for bed. We have a long three days ahead of us.”

As the two children got to their refresher to get ready for bed, Mirta went through her memories of her family, and prayed to the _manda_ that they would forgive her for her transgressions.

_Meanwhile, on the_ Chimeara’s _Bridge_

 

“And you’re positive about what you heard, Commander Sing?” Natasi Daala said.

 

“Would you doubt me on a matter of this scale, Admiral? Mirta spoke with the prisoner, and, not only was told some juicy information about Darth Caedus, was clearly affected by all of that mushy _poodoo_ that Edaan was spewing out.” Aurra calmly said.

 

“Mirta is becoming a bit of a problem. It may be time for us to dispose of her.” Natasi mused, earning a nod of approval from Aurra.

 

“What do propose we do about her?” Breela, an aging Farghul bounty hunter, and leader of the Crimson Nova guild, said.

 

“Nothing for now. She’s still popular with a lot of the troops under our command, and we can’t afford to have division in the ranks with our invasion just days off. For now, Breela, just keep an eye on her.” Daala ordered.

 

[Affirmative.] Black Krrsantan said, eager to shed the blood of would-be heroes, but old enough to keep his bloodlust in check for the admiral.

 

“Good. Dismissed.” Daala said, as all of her Jedi hunters and commanders left the command bridge, and she was let alone to observe the vast fleet in front of her that was still growing.

 

**And, cut! Wow. This was probably the longest chapter that I’ve ever written. And it only took me about a week to write. Now, since that week, I’ve finished a military novel, _The Witcher: The Tower of Swallows_ novel, and started _Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void_ , and I’m around halfway done, and I started the book today. Oh, and I hope you enjoyed the human side of Mirta that I displayed, as well as the convictions of Edaan and Armand. I hope that I made them believable enough for you to enjoy. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed all of the Expanded Universe references that I made, as well as the appearances of Ghes and Mirta’s children. By the way, Ralo is a Republic Trooper from SWTOR: Knights of the Fallen Empire. And Bria is a reference to the brutal and treacherous Rebel Alliance commander Bria Tharen, who just so happened to be Han Solo’s first love. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, as I think that there’s now only a few left. I think that I’ll just have three more chapters written, one for each day before the invasion. Tell me what you think in reviews and emails, as long as they’re constructive and not demeaning. May the Force be With You, and Long Love the Expanded Universe!**

 


	28. Chapter 27

**Hello, my loyal fans. First off, thank you so much for whoever wrote the second review for my story. It means a lot to me that a few people are willing to comment on my work, as it helps me keep going in the overwhelming fog of uncertainty that is the future of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, what with Lucasfilm’s near-complete focus on their new canon. By the way, I am currently on _Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan_ , I am over half of the way done with it, and I am enjoying it very much, as it covers two great Star Wars legends: the legendary Jedi Revan and Meetra Surik (also known as the Jedi Exile). Oh, and I found a BRILLIANT video on Youtube about the EU movements across the Internet that is made my Matt Wilkins. It is called “Giving Up”, and it is a powerful motivator to wanting to bring back the Expanded Universe, at least in a lesser capacity, as, I regret to say, there’s no feasible way for the people in charge of Lucasfilm to completely go back to the Expanded Universe. Now, with at least three chapters left in this story, what do you say that we get started? By the way, if any of you readers out there have any ideas for the next story, feel free to comment in reviews and emails, as long as they are constructive. **

 

_Day 45 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation_

_Onboard the_ Chimeara _, in the Shogun System_

 

Mirta Gev was putting her brain into overdrive right now. She was contacting all of her comrades and allies in Daala’s invasion force, and, through the elaborate use of code phrases and old Mandalorian proverbs, had so far mangaged to recruit two thousand wariors to her soon-to-be deserting army. And dozens more were joining her new cause every hour. _Now comes the hard part._ She thought as she walked to the bridge of the _Chimeara_ in order to speak with Daala about the invasion that was a short two days away.

 

As the guards double-checked her identity as a precaution for potential assassins infiltrating Daala’s ranks, she took a deep breath behind her helmet, praying to the _manda_ that her plans would not be discovered, otherwise she, her two beloved children, and all of the soldiers under her official and unofficial commands would be slaughtered.

 

After three minutes of waiting outside the command bridge, the guards cleared her for speaking with the admiral, and opened the doors to the bridge. Mirta quickly nodded at the two guards and proceded into the room to see Daala going over logistics with the captain of the _Chimeara_ , Tors Remal, and Moff Porrak Vansyn, the only Imperial leader with a substantial force to back Daala and her insane schemes, when the three of them noticed Mirta waling towards them. Quietly dismissing the captain and moff, Daala fully turned to speak with Mirta, saying, “Captain Gev, this is a surprise. Shouldn’t you be preparing your soldiers for the assault?”

 

“Actually, that’s what I came to talk to you about. I want my men and I to lead the frontal assault. I want to redeem myself in your eyes, and I figured that by leading the first wave is a good first steo towards doing that.”

 

Daala’s eyes widened briefly at this request, but she quickly regained control and said, “I think that I can accommodate your request, Captain. But, may I ask what caused this change in mood?”

 

“I realized that what the Jedi was saying was ridiculous, and that you’re, no matter how flawed you may be, are the best chance my people have for regaining our former place in the galaxy.” Mirta explained, not believing how ridiculous that that sounded, and hoped that Daala bought it.

 

After mulling it over for a minute, and realizing that Mirta had just handed her the perfect excuse to get her killed, Daala agreed, saying, “Very well, Mirta. If you wish to redeem yourself in everyone’s eyes, then who am I to deny you the chance? You will lead the forward assault onboard the _Raptor_ with Assault Group Teda.”

 

“A _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer as my flagship. Thank you for your generosity, Admiral.” Mirta said in thanks, all the while plotting ways to cause damage to Daala’s fleet before she left her insanity behind.

 

“You’re welcome, Captain. Now, if there’s nothing else, I have a hundred reports to go over by the end of the hour, so, goodbye.” Daala simply said.

 

Mirta nodded and quickly left the bridge.

 

 _Well, looks like it’s time to move forward with the plan._ Mirta thought, relieved that Daala appeared to buy her story, and ready to prepare to leave a lasting present behind for Daala and her forces.

 

_One Hour Later, at Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

“And you’re positive about this?” Goran asked the hologram of Jaing Skirata.

 

“ _Not entirely, but it’s a safe bet, given how Mirta’s usually so cautious of Daala and Belok’s schemes. Anyway, you’d better prepare for some much needed reinforcements, and I’ll be joining them, since I can’t stand working for that_ demagolka _Daala anymore._ ”

 

“I hear you, Jaing. At least it’ll be good to have more of the _Mando'ade_ back on our side.” Goran said.

 

“ _Let’s hope so. Anyway, I’d better get going, as I’ve got to prep my squad on this turn of events. See you soon._ ” Jaing said before ending the holonet call.

                                                          

 _I have_ got _to get this news to_ Mand’alor _._ Goran thought as he brusquely walked to the command center to inform Boba Fett of this turn of events. He arrived to see Boba Fett, Venku Skirata, Jedi Masters Corran Horn and Barratk’l, and Adari Thayn who was representing the interests of Edaan’s underworld allies, sans the Hutts, along with Azzim Anjilic Atirue representing Hutt interests in the Mandalore System, Emperor Jagged Fel, Grand Moff Ephin Sarreti, and Moff Garreter representing Imperial reinforcements, as Jaina Solo Fel was helping to integrate the Five-Hundred-and-First Legion into Mandalorian ranks, Admiral Gavin Darklighter, Commodore Kral Nevil, Senator Janek the White, and Governor Leon Saresh representing the covert Galactic Alliance interests from Kuat, Rothana, and Dac, Turr Phennir, the Supreme Commander of the Confederation forces that were considering joining the battle, Hapan Agent Trista Zel, the leader of the Hapes Contortium fleet in orbit above Mandalore, and finally, Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano, better known to the larger galaxy as Formbi, speaking on behalf of the Chiss Ascendency, in hologram form.

 

“All right, now that everyone’s assembled, let’s-” Boba said before seeing Goran walking towards him. He then said, “Yes, Beviin?”

 

After Goran quickly whispered the news that Jaing had relayed to him, Boba nodded in thanks for the intelligence before getting back to the meeting at hand saying, “It looks like we may receive some much needed reinforcements. According to the reports sent by my triple agent, one of Daala’s best captains, my wayward granddaughter, Mirta Gev, is preparing to defect to our side.”

 

“Not that I’m doubting your source, Fett, but how do you know this for sure?” Corran said, skeptical that a longtime ally of a Sith Lord would just switch sides just before the start of the final battle for Mandalore.

 

“Because, Master Horn,” Boba said with just a hint of disdain in his voice before continuing, saying “Mirta personally requested to lead the forward assault and, according to my source, she spoke with Edaan Palpatine and Armand Vorn before speaking with Daala, and was heavily affected by the two of them. Also, she’s moving all of her loyal followers to the front of the fleet, and is covertly putting her best men onboard of Daala’s _Lictus_ -class Dungeon Ship, the _Gorgon’s Revenge_. The most logical conclusion is that she’s preparing to take control of the ship and have it jump with the rest of her forces.”

 

“ _But can we trust Mirta after all of the time she’s spent under Vestara Khai’s employment?_ ” Gavin said, still skeptical of the whole matter due to a significant majority of their forces being mercenaries.

 

“From all of the reports from our captives, Mirta’s been a professional soldier and leader, and doesn’t approve of many of Daala and Belok Rhal’s more… aggressive tactics.” Venku said, deferring to his leader’s judgment, who, despite his past grudge against Boba for not helping the Mandalorians up until thirty-five years ago, had proven himself an effective Mandalore, and restored the Mandalorian people as a force to be reckoned with up until the Second Mandalorian Civil War.

 

“What about Vestara Khai? Ever since we arrived in the system, we’ve been searching the entire sector for her, but have come up with nothing.” Barratk’l said.

 

“ _We have to consider that she’s not in the Mandalorian Sector anymore. She may have just been bait to lure us into a quagmire that would weaken the galaxy for Sith invasion._ ” Turr Phennir gravely said.

 

“ _Actually, I think that you’re not far off, Supreme Commander Phennir. My people’s contacts have come up with nothing either, and we have contacts in every sector of the galaxy. But, more to the point, I think that this was a trap for Edaan specifically._ ” Azzim explained. After those last words were said, everyone turned their heads to look at him quizzically.

 

Before anyone could question his estimation of his friend, he continued, saying, “ _Look at what Edaan’s accomplished on his own: he united the forces of three Black Sun Vigos, the entire Hutt Grand Council, and the forces of the late Xasha Xizor on his own, not to mention all of the favors that he’s called in. It was the beginnings of an army unseen since the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, and the Sith and their ‘Dragon Lord’ may have wanted to remove the board of a potential threat, so what better way to eliminate him by sending him to a warzone between two very deadly armies that would probably destroy him? I doubt that they anticipated Edaan allying with the loyalists, so they had to rely on Daala and her forces to do their dirty work, which meant that they had to accelerate their campaign and invade Mandalore before they were fully prepared_.”

 

Everyone seemed to take in Azzim’s words, and Fett broke the contemplation by saying, “You may be on to something, Azzim. But we’ll have more time to worry about the Dragon Lord’s plans once we’ve beaten Daala and her forces. And on that note, can we expect aid from each of your governments?” Fett said, referring to Turr Phennir and Aristocra Formbi.

 

“ _Admiral_ _Traest Kre’frey is ready with a Bothan fleet of ten Bothan Assault Carriers to aid the Jedi, the Adumari are sending a weapons shipment to Mandalore that should be in the system within the day, and the Corellians are sending two of their Dreadnaughts to bolster your forces, but Fyor Rodan is holding his defenses in reserve, since he thinks that this is just a Jedi power grab. I’m working on bypassing him, but it will take some time, which is something that we don’t have much of._ ” Phennir said.  

 

“ _And with Jedi involvement, the Ascendancy is holding back their fleets, since we’re all wary of Jedi intervention after Tenupe._ ” Formbi said. But before anyone, except the Mandalorians, could call him out over a twenty-year grudge, he said, “ _However, since I command the Empire of the Hand, and the Empire of the Hand has good relations with the Galactic Empire, I should be able to assemble a sizeable fleet within a few weeks. If you can manage to hold out long enough to receive those reinforcements, that is._ ”

 

“You just worry about getting us that fleet, Aristocra. The rest of us can hold our own until you arrive. I wouldn’t be surprised if we win this war by the time that you arrive.” Venku confidently said; a sentiment shared by many in the room as they nodded in agreement.

 

“Now then,” Boba said, bringning all eyes and ears on to him as he said, “can we get back to the reason that we’re all here?”

 

“ _Agreed. My people are anxious for a good fight after Falleen, and the rest of the Hutt clans are eager to get this war over with._ ” Azzim said.

 

And with that, the war council began.

 

_One Hour Later_

With the war council over, every commander went to handle his or her assigned duty. The diverse fleet would take up defensive positions above Mandalore, while the soldiers would be placed across the planet within and around the major cities, including Sundari, Keldabe, and Kyrimorut. Command of the combined forces of the Shadow Alliance would go to Boba Fett, Gavin Darklighter, Azzim Anjilic Atirue, Adari Thayn, and Corran Horn, given their experience with commanding people of different backgrounds.

 

Not knowing when there would be a respite from the war preparations, Corran Horn contacted the Jedi High Council to inform them of the situation. Needless to say, they were not pleased with the outcome.

 

“ _It’s a shame that Boba Fett wouldn’t accept any more Jedi aid. We’ll just have to hope that the forces that Edaan and the others have gathered are enough to win this civil war._ ” Luke somberly said, echoing the thoughts of everyone at the council meeting, which included Ben Skywalker, as well as Leia Organa Solo and Han Solo.

 

“Yeah, but what else did you expect from a guy who’s had so much negative experience with force users?” Corran replied, surprised that he was defending Boba after he killed a number of Jedi that only he knows how many in his long career.

 

“ _True enough. I’m more concerned about Azzim’s theory that Vestara appeared to lure Edaan into a trap. It implies that there may be a spy in the Jedi Order, and there’s no telling who it may be._ ” Ben said.

 

“ _One matter at a time, Master Skywalker. Right now, we need to focus on getting as much aid to Mandalore as we can in the time that we have left._ ” Kyle Katarn said.

 

“I don’t think that you can get anymore aid to Edaan’s Shadow Alliance before Daala’s forces arrive.” Said Sintas Vel, who just so happened to be walking into the communications room at that moment. “The assistance that you and everyone else have given us should be enough to turn the tide in the civil war.”

 

“ _Thanks for the vote of confidence, Sintas. Let’s just hope that Edaan and all of Daala’s prisoners get back safely._ ” Han said in a tone that caused Sintas to raise an eyebrow, and Corran to inwardly cringe at Han’s remark and the inevitable conflict that would ensue.

 

“And just what do you mean by that, Captain Solo?” Sintas angrily asked.

 

“ _What I mean, Sintas, is that we have to anticipate that Mirta may not be planning to liberate Edaan and the prisoners, but she’s trying to rise in Daala’s ranks to gain power._ ” Han cynically said.

Corran sensed the anger radiating off of Sintas in waves, and he stepped back a couple of steps to avoid getting in-between the two rogues.

 

To Corran’s surprise, she remained calm as she said, “I think that we don’t have to worry about Mirta, Han. What I think that you should instead focus on searching for the mole in the Jedi Order.” Those words caused everyone to look at her as if she had grown a second head.

 

“ _What do you mean, Sintaz?_ ” Saba Sabatyne asked.

 

“What I mean, Master Sabatyne, is that only a handful of people knew about Edaan’s mission, and most of those people were Jedi, which implies that there may be a leak in your organization.” Sintas explained.

 

“ _She may have a point, though I am reluctant to admit it._ ” Leia said, surprising everyone present, esepecially Sintas. Before anyone could call her out for this, she continued, saying, “ _Look at the facts: we haven’t seen a sign of Vestara for over two months. That implies that she may know that Edaan is going after her, and she’s going to ground with the Dragon Lord. And, besides for Edaan’s underworld allies, only the Jedi were aware of Edaan’s plans until he arrived at Mandalore and allied with the Loyalists. That implies that Sintas and Azzim may be right. We need to investigate this theory on the off chance that they’re right._ ”

 

Luke nodded his head in agreement as he said, “ _I agree. We can’t run the chance that there’s a mole in the Order. We need to investigate everyone who was there when Saba, Voort, and Edaan agreed to the compromise for his mission._ ”

 

“If there’s nothing else, everyone, I’d better get back to helping everyone prepare for the invasion. Luke, can you give Mirax, Valin, and Jysella my love?”

 

Luke nodded at Corran’s request. With everything out of the way, the Jedi Council sent their farewells for Corran and ended the HoloNet call.

 

 _Well, I’d better get back to work._ Corran bleakly said as he went to tell Barratk’l, Jaden, and Seha of this turn of events.

 

**And, that’s a wrap! Wow, I can’t believe that it only took me three days to write this chapter. So, what did you think of all of the Expanded Universe references that I included in the story? Be honest, as I value your constructive criticism. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I purchased the two new Star Wars comics that came out today: _Star Wars_ #20 and _Star Wars: Han Solo_ #1 (of 5), along with the _Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five_ #12 issue as well. I am sorry if you don’t approve of my choice, but I feel that, with a little tweaking, I can fit a majority of the comics and stories into the original timeline, and I’m just desperate for more Star Wars stories. Speaking of _Injustice_ , I am disgusted at how depraved Superman and most of his allies have become, asides from Flash, Shazam (Captain Marvel), and, for now, Cyborg and Raven. Oh, and if you’re in the mood for some excellent fanfictions, look at the ones that I’ve listed as my favorites on my fanfiction.net page, as they are better than mine, and I enjoy them very much. By the way, since I’ve written this chapter, I’e finished _Deceived_ , and I am about to start _Star Wars: Red Harvest_ , a horror story, and I don’t normally go for those. Anyway, if you have anything to say, feel free to send me a review of email, as long as it’s respectful, of course. Have a good day, May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe. **

 


	29. Chapter 28

**Hello, my friends. Welcome back to what may be the penultimate chapter of my third story. How have I done so far? Please give me constructive criticism, as I value your input. By the way, what book are you reading right now, as I am reading _Star Wars: Red Harvest_ , and I am almost halfway done with it after my second day. Oh, and I hope that you have enjoyed all of my EU references in my stories, as I have no intention of stopping now. And, once again, I encourage all of you to read the stories that I have favorited on my Fanfiction.net page, as they are beyond excellent. One last thing, this chapter is going to bring in one of Karen Traviss’s creations from _Star Wars: Imperial Commando: 501 st_, so just try to guess who it is. If you can’t figure it out, here’s a hint, the character’s hates all force users, regardless of their affiliation in the Force. Well, with the pleasantries out of the way, let’s get started on the next chapter. Remember to enjoy, and please, please review. **

_Day 46 Since the Shadow Alliance’s Formation, 0800 Hours_

_In The Shogun System, Onboard the_ Chimeara

 

Admiral, and in her mind, the still greatly wronged Galactic Alliance Chief of State and would-be Imperial Head of State, Natasi Daala was inspecting the now fully assembled fleet before her. It was enough to bring a tear to her eye, as it proved that not the entire galaxy had returned to the accursed Force. From her flagship, the _Chimeara_ , she read through the dossiers on each segment of the fleet: Aside the expanded Maw Irregular Fleet, the fifty ships from the Corporate Sector Authority; the fifty thousand Mandalorians, as well as their fighters and ships, that served her; various planetary millitias, as well as former Peace Brigaders, former Yuuzhan Vong collaborators and staunch opposents of the Jedi during the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, and the twenty Loronar _Strike_ -class Medium Cruisers that were donated by Loronar Corporation in exchange for _Beskar_ shipments for their experiments; Moff Porrack Vansyn came with six _Imperial_ I-Class Star Destroyers, two Imperial Interdictor Cruisers, seven _Lancer_ -class Frigates, and two wings of TIE Fighters; the Zygerrian Slaver’s Guild sent ships of various designs and eras to get slaves from Mandalore for their gladiator arenas, and to gain the strength to return to their homeworld; renegade Galactic Aliance forces, under the command of Galactic Alliance Security Captain Oric Harfard, a staunch supporter of Daala during her time a Chief of State, came with three _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyers, two _Endurqnce_ -class Fleet Carriers that each contained a wing of K-Wings, B-Wings, and A-Wings each, adding to already massive fleet.

 

Let the fools of the galaxy marshall their filthy pro-Jedi forces to aid Fett. It would only make her repossession of the galaxy that much easier. It was a shame though that she would have to kill Wynn Dorvan and Boba Fett in order to take her rightful place as ruler of the galaxy, as she respected the two men very much for the time that she spent with each of them in the past.

 

Of course, it would be equally satisfying to rid the galaxy of the Jedi, Sith, and the rest of the Force users out there, even those fifty idiotic Zeshion Sha that joined her side. She’d probably send them on a suicide mission against Fett’s Jedi and that wretched Empress, Jaina Solo Fel, and her retinue of Imperial Knights, crippling Fett’s chances of winning this war, as the Jedi have pulled last-minute victories out of the most harrowing of defeats, as exemplified by the Battles of Rakata Prime and Yuuzhan’tar, to name just two battles.

 

That was why she was with her official Force Advisor, Commander Roly Melusar, the former commander of Imperial Commando Special Unit during the early years of the First Galacitc Empire, who was known for his legendary hatred of all force users due to the abuses of the Prophets of the Dark Side on Dromund Kaas, especially the death of his father before he could lead a native revolt against the prophets. He was currently advising her on how to deploy her warriors effectively against the sixteen remaining Force users that were opposing her, and he was coming up with some brilliant ideas, ideas that she should have considered during her battles with the Jedi Order.

 

Getting her mind out of her daydreams, she turned her mind back to the conversation as Roly continued speaking, saying, “-if we’re going to beat Fett’s Force using allies, we need to divide and conquer them by separating them and killing them one at a time, especially the Jedi Masters and Empress Fel. I recommend sending Belok Rhal and Commanders Sing and Krrsantan after Jedi Knight Bhixen, Jedi Master Seha Dorvald, and Fel’s retinue first, and, from there, we can focus on eliminating the stronger Force users. Of course, we’ll need to find a way to eliminate Commander Sing after the invasion, but that shouldn’t be too much of trouble for our orbital bombardment team, provided that we can avoid any preventable casualties.”

 

“Of course, Commander Melusar.” Daala said, not wanting to push away a powerful and brilliant leader like Roly Melusar, who she thought of as a kinred spirit for their mutual hatred and disgust of Force users. After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she said, “Only thirty-six hours left until our rendezvous with destiny. How do you feel?”

 

“Eager to finally make my dream of a galaxy free from the blasted Force a reality. How about you?” Roly replied.

 

“About the same.” Daala replied, getting a rare chuckle from the aging commander.

 

As both commanders continued their idle conversation, they were unaware of the brewing rebellion that resided in their ranks.

 

 _Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Raptor

 

Mirta Gev was an excited woman, which was rare for her, especially in this dark age. She was leading an army of over six thousand Mandalorians, not including the support staff of the twenty-one ships under her command, including her flagship, the _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer, the _Raptor_ , along with one _Acclamator_ -class assault ship, five Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruisers, two Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, three Keldabe-Class battleships, four Assault Frigates class Mark II, the four _Republic_ -class cruisers, an _Assassin_ -class Corvette, and a wing of _bes'uliiks_. Of course, the men under her command found the five set of explosives within the _Raptor_ that Daala and her lackeys planted in her ship, allowing her to move forward with her plan. She contacted Jaing, one of the handful people that she could trust with her plan to cripple Daala’s fleet, who quickly said, “ _The packages within the_ Chimeara _have been delivered, as well as within the_ Defender _,_ Maurader _,_ Majestic _, and_ Liegus Vorn _._ ”, referring to the other _Acclamator_ -class assault ship, two _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, and one _Scimitar_ -class frigate, respectively, before continuing, referring to the two Lictor-class Dungeon Ships as he said, “ _The squads within the_ Gorgon’s Revenge _and_ Sunspot’s Legacy _have been planted as well, so Breela won’t be in command of the two ships for long._ ”

 

“Good. Thank you for standing by me, Jaing. It’ll be good to be back with my family. Don’t tell anyone I said that though, or I’ll beat you to a pulp.” She warned.

 

“ _I doubt that very much, Mirta. And besides, the troops could use a good laugh, so I have to tell them._ ” Jaing smugly said, earning a faux-scowl from Mirta, who was secretly amused by Jaing’s sense of humor, though she would never admit that to anyone, not even her estranged husband, Ghes Orade, though if she had her way, she wouldn’t be estranged from him for long, and he would get to meet their two beautiful and strong children.

 

“The kids and their families have agreed to join our cause, so that deprives Daala of a crucial set of allies.” Mirta continued, grateful that every family agreed to join her, as she was loathe to kill children, even if they were warriors in the making.

 

“ _Good. The_ manda _knows that_ Mand’alor _and the others will need all the help that they can get if we’re all going to stop Daala._ ” Jaing solemnly said.

 

“Let’s hope that Edaan and the rest of Daala’s prisoners are alright, because I’ve got a feeling that we’ll need their help to win this war.”

 

“ _Now, what gave you that impression, Mirta?_ ” Jaing sarcastically said.

 

“The fact that Edaan almost single-handedly assembled an army that the galaxy hasn’t seen since the Jedi Coalition.” Mirta answered truthfully in order to avoid Jaing throwing another gibe at her. “You be careful, Jaing, I don’t want to have to explain to Venku that you were left behind or killed, because he can be a real pain in the _shebs_ when he’s mad.”

 

“ _True enough. And don’t worry, ‘careful’ is my middle name._ ” Jaing jokingly said as he ended the holocall, leaving Mirta to her thoughts as she pondered what she was going to say to her family when she arrived at Mandalore.

 

 _Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Gorgon’s Revenge

 

Edaan Palpatine’s mind was racing a parsec a minute, struggling to come up with a way to escape from his prison, starting with his Universal Energy Cage. But, no matter what strategy he came up with, nothing he came up with could feasibly work. There were ten ysalamiri surrounding his cell, creating a powerful bubble that cut off access to the Force, not to mention the fifty turrets in the large room that encircled his cell, all controlled from an unseen command center that was being controlled by Breela, an old Farghul who was the daughter of the former head of the Crimson Nova chapter guild of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild, Mika, and both women hated Jedi and were notorious Jedi Hunters during the time of the Old Republic and First Galactic Empire. Edaan didn’t find out about the switch in wardens until one day ago, when Breela announced herself to him over the intercom, gloating over her power over a Jedi after so long, as Daala hadn’t captured a Jedi to torture for information in over a year.

 

This knowledge only encouraged Edaan to get out of here, but, since he knew that he couldn’t escape, he realized that he could only place his hope in Mirta Gev, who, since he only had one conversation with her, he didn’t hold out a lot of hope in her. Still, after all of his travels across the galaxy, he knew that people could surprise him, so he decided to put all of his faith in her, especially since he couldn’t do much else. With that settled, he assumed a meditative position in order to center himself for the soon-to-commence invasion of Mandalore, praying to the Force that a miracle would occur in order to stop this mad civil war.

 

**Well, that ends this chapter. Sorry that it was shorter than most of the others, but there wasn’t much to talk about in this chapter, since I’ve covered just about everything that’s needed to be covered before the Invasion of Mandalore. By the way, I hope that you enjoyed my inclusion of GAS Captain Oric Harford and commander Roly Melusar, as I felt that Daala’s army could use some more Force-haters, and who else wishes to commit genocide on a galactic scale since the Yuuzhan Vong, Natasi Daala, and maybe, Boba Fett? In a lot of ways, Melusar reminds me of Willian Stryker from _X2: X-Men United_ , since he tried to murder every persom on earth who inherited the Mutant X gene in order to ‘protect’ humanity. Anyway, did you hear that Star Wars: Rebels: The Complete Season Two is coming out on August 30, 2016? I watched every episode of the series, and I can only imagine what exciting adventures await the _Ghost_ crew in Season Three, which may be the final season of the hit TV show, _Star Wars: Rebels_. Oh, and I’ve finished _Star Wars: Red Harvest_ , and I am currently one-fifth of the way done with _Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance_. So, with at least one chapter left in this story, enjoy what I’ve written so far, and please, please review. May the Force be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**


	30. Epilogue

**Hello, my friends. How are you doing on such a good day? I am doing fine, thanks for asking. Oh, and happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers out there that have read my story. Anyway, so far, I’ve just finished the rest of _Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance_ since I left this story, and I’m about to start _Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation_. Well, I think that this is the last chapter of _Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War I: Alpha_ , so that means that it is probably going to be the biggest chapter that I’ve ever written. Which means that this story, naturally, took a while to make, because I wanted to get this final chapter of my third story just right for your viewing pleasure. So, with the pleasantries out of the way, enjoy, and once again, because I cannot emphasize this strongly enough, please, please please review this story, as I value constructive criticism. **

 

 _Day 47_ _Since the Shadow Alliance’s Formation, 1400 Hours_

 _In The Shogun System, Onboard the_ Raptor

 

With only six hours until Daala’s fleet would enter hyperspace for their invasion, Mirta was going over last-minute preparations for her surprise in store for Daala and Belok Rhal. There was just two more crucial matters to cover before she could make her move: getting Armand Vorn out of his house arrest, because, since he knew how his mother thought better than anyone else, aside from Boba Fett and the late Gilad Pelleaon, Wilhuff Tarkin, and Leigeus Vorn, so his knowledge of how Daala thought would be crucial in ordre to defeat her and her army; and Edaan Palpatine, as he had proven himself as an effective leader by assembling an army from people of so many diverse backgrounds.

 

That was why she was sending Dinua Jeban and her elite squad of Supercommandos to free Armand within the next seventy minutes, and Jaing Skirata and his most trusted followers to take control of the _Gorgon’s Revenge_ and _Sunspot’s Legacy_ within fifty minutes since their job would take longer than Jaing’s mission. Once his team got Armand safely onto the _Raptor_ , and the two Dungeon ships were under her control, her small but deadly fleet would activate their ‘gifts’ that they left behind for the _demagolkas_ that were Natasi Daala and her so-called elite commanders that were really just a bunch of hate-filled warmongers.

 

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she quickly snapped back to reality as she saw her children approach her. They couldn’t see her as a daydreamer, it was unprofessional, and just plain embarrassing.

 

“What’s wrong, _buir_?” Ralo asked with concern lacing his voice.

 

“Oh, nothing, Ralo. I’m just excited to be leaving Daala and her madness behind, and rejoining our family.” Mirta reassuringly said before getting serious, asking, “Is everyone ready for a quick exit?”

 

“Yes, Commander.” Bria said in a no-nonsense tone, pleasing her mother since their military training was beginning to make them great Mandalorians.

 

“Good.” Mirta simply said before dismissing her children. As her thoughts returned to Jaing, Dinua, Armand, and Edaan, she prayed to the _manda_ and all of her ancestors that they would return safely, as she knew that to stop Daala and her Sith masters, the galaxy would need those three people’s help, not to mention that their word would likely be the only thing that would convince her grandfather, the skeptical Jedi, and their allies that her army was theirs to command.

 

Realizing that there was nothing that she could do for any of her allies but prepare to depart, she returned to preparing her small army to desert Daala’s fleet.

 

_1525 Hours_

_Onboard the_ Gorgon’s Revenge

 

Jaing Skirata had been many things over the years: Clone Trooper, Imperial deserter, Mandalorian mercenary, and triple agent, but, as he made his way throughout the _Gorgon’s Revenge_ , he never pictured himself as a Jedi sympathizer and liberator. Then again, the galaxy and the _manda_ had a strange sense of humor, so he supposed that it was doing this to him in order to make him regret helping Djinn Altis and his Jedi sect escape the worst of the Great Jedi Purge during the early years of the First Galactic Empire. Shaking himself out of his reflections, he focused his one-hundred-and-one mind on the task at hand, knowing that even getting distracted for an instant could get him killed.

 

In the fifteen minutes since boarding the ship, the fifty-man team that he was leading, Taung Squad, had just finished killing the outside guard for the command bridge for the Dungeon Ship with taking only three losses, while killing fifty enemy Mandalorians, and he had just heard that his second fifty-man team, code-named Spectre Squad, had secured the _Sunspot’s Legacy_ , and was awaiting ther completion of the mission with only a tenth of their forces lost.

 

“All right, men, listen up, because I’m only going to say this once. We’re almost at the end of the road, but there’s no telling what surprises Breela has in store for us on the bridge, so stay alert. _Hukaat'kama_.” Jaing told his men as they got to work on cutting through the beskar-laced doors that led to their objective. Three minutes later, they entered the command bridge to find an irate Breela and her guard of six Supercommandos.

 

“Have you gone senile in your old age, Jaing?! What do you think you’re doing by killing our men mere hours before the invasion?” Breela shouted, being surprised because Jang only chuckled at her questions.

 

“Yeah, calling me old. Like I haven’t heard that one before.” He nonchalantly said before continuing, asking, “Why don’t you make things easier for both of us and surrender so I don’t have to kill any more of my fellow Mandalorians?”

 

“So you can release that filthy Jedi and desert to join the rest of his kind? I’d rather die first!” Breela adamantly refused, followed by brusque nods by the rest of her men as her support staff tired to send out a message to Admiral Daala as to what was occurring.

 

Jaing simply sighed before giving his men the order to kill, by saying, “No mercy.” He then quickly fired his DXR-6 disrupor rifle twice, disintigrating two of Breela’s bodyguards in the process before anyone else could draw their weapons.

 

 _Man, I still got it._ Jaing pleasingly thought before he ducked out of the way to avoid the blasterfire from the five remaining enemies. A firefight quickly erupted as another one of Breela’s bodyguards fell, and two of Jaing’s squadmates as well. Realizing that he needed to move fast before Daala caught on to what was going on, Jaing quickly lobbed a concussion grenade at Breela and her men. Breela, seeing the grenade come her way, quickly moved out of the way, while the rest of her men were stunned by the explosion before being gunned down by their fellow Mandalorians.

 

Breela, not wanting to go down without a fight, blasted two more of Jaing’s men before being stabbed in the back by Jaing’s vibro-shiv. She abrubtly fell to the ground, and, while coughing up blood, said to Jaing, “Chaos take you all.”

 

“Save a place for me there.” Jaing nonchalantly said as, out of respect for the former bounty hunter, he put a blaster bolt in between Breela’s eyes, killing her instantly. After taking a moment to respect the warriors who fell in battle today, regardless of their affiliation, Jaing turned his attention to the frightened crewmembers, who were shivering in their seats as they stayed still, fearful of getting shot if they moved at all.

 

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to kill you. We just need you to follow our orders from here on out. Do as we say, and you’ll live to go back to your families.” Jaing said in an attempt to reassure the scared specialists. After receiving nods from every person on the bridge, he turned to the command panel at the middle of the bridge, and after getting someone to tach him how to unlock the Universal Energy Cage, as well as deactivate the turrets guarding the cage, he did just that.

_Deep Within the Prison Cells of the_ Gorgon’s Revenge

 

Edaan Palpatine was fast asleep when he heard the Universal Energy Cage deactivate and fall to the ground. Quickly waking up, he opened the unlocked door to see that the turrets that surrounded his cell had been deactivated as well. Before he could wonder what was going on, a familiar voice came through the intercom as it humorously said, “ _Hello, Edaan. Did you get enough rest in your comfy cell?_ ”

 

Immediately recognizing that voice, Edaan incredulously said, “Jaing? What’s going on?”

 

“ _We’re busting you out of here, that’s what._ ” Jaing replied before continuing, saying, “Now, we need you to remain in the chambers for a while while we finalize the escape so that Daala’s employed Force user doesn’t sense you, and-” Jaing paused for a minute, confusing Edaan before he heard Jaing say, “ _Actually, scratch that. We’ve got to get ready to move within five minutes, so I’ll send some of my men to bring you up to the bridge._ ”

 

“Okay.” Edaan uncomprehendingly said, wondering just what was going on before he realized that someone was planning to desert Daala’s fleet, and they planned to take him with them to prove their sincerity in wanting to defect to Boba Fett’s side.

 

Of course, the only person that Edaan could think of that wanted to leave Daala’s service was Mirta Gev, so a likely scenario came into Edaan’s mind: Mirta, sick of Daala’s insanity, assembled a small army of likeminded Mandalorians in order to defect to her grandfather’s side, and commandeered the _Gorgon’s Revenge_ in order to prve their desire to come back into the Loyalists’ fold. He only hoped that they planned this all out, as Daala could jump right behind them and make it seem like the deserters were planning an assault.

 

 _Meanwhile, on the_ Chimeara

 

Dinua Jeban was having the time of her life. She and Armand Vorn were just twenty paces from the _Tydirium’s Vengeance_ , a Sentinel-class landing craft that Dinua and her thirty surviving Supercommandos came from, and they were facing a swarm of opposition: fifty of Daala’s loyal bodyguards, in addition to Aurra Sing and Black Krrsantan, who, in their bloodlust, were slowly advancing on their opposition, cutting a swath through the droids that blocked their way, in addition to the unfortunate Mandalorian or security trooper that got in their way.

 

“I hope that you’ve got a plan for those two, or our escape is doomed!” Armand shouted over all of the chaos that consumed the hangar bay.

 

“I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeves.” Dinua calmly replied as she pressed a button on her gauntlet, activating a surprise in store for Daala’s Jedi hunters: the next two droids that Aurra and Krrsantan destroyed detonated high-grade explosives at the two of them, knocking them out and causing their loyal soldiers to fall back from their advantageous position, allowing Dinua, Armand, and the twenty-five surviving Supercommandos to safely enter the shuttle awaiting them, and take off within two minutes, just as the two bounty hunters woke up from their various injuries.

 

 _Oh, Daala isn’t going to like this._ Aurra grimly said as the shuttle cleared the hangar bay.

 

 _On the_ Chimeara’s _Bridge_

 

Admiral Natasi Daala and and Supreme Commander Belok Rhal could not comprehend what was going on: explosions were detonating all over the ship and alarms were going off all over the _Chimeara_ , as well as the _Defender, Maurader, Majestic, Liegus Vorn_ , and twenty other ships of various size and class, ranging from _Lancer_ -class frigates to _Imperial_ I-class Star Destroyers. Suddenly, the answer hit Daala like a hoverbus: Mirta Gev had betrayed her!

 

Looking back, it was so obvious: the questioning of all of her decisions, the desire to lead the first wave of her forces into battle, she cursed in huttese for three full minutes before calming herself down and ordering every able ship to target the _Raptor_ , _Gorgon’s Revenge_ , and the _Tydirium’s Vengeance_ before they could jump into hyperspace.

 

Unfortunately for her, the _Raptor_ , along with one _Acclamator_ -class assault ship, five Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruisers, two Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, three Keldabe-Class battleships, four Assault Frigates class Mark II, the four _Republic_ -class cruisers, an _Assassin_ -class Corvette, and a wing of _bes'uliiks_ , all of which were under Mirta’s command, immediately jumped into hyperspace the moment the _Tydirium’s Vengeance_ safely docked in the _Raptor_.

 

Realizing that the invasion had been delayed for at least up to a month, Daala let out a blood-curdling scream that frightened everyone within hearing range, even Belok Rhal, who had never seen Daala so incensed before. After taking a few calming breaths, Daala addressed the crews of each of her remaining ships, saying, “Attention all ships, those that are damaged have exactly one week to effect repairs to their systems, and any able ship is ordered to aid in repairs. Any ship that is not at one hundred percent when we launch our invasion will be mothballed, and their crews will transport over to an able ship. And if any of you even think about defecting along with that _hut'uunla_ Mirta Gev, you will be court-martialed and excuted for disloyalty. Daala out.” Ending the transmission, Daala walked out of the bridge to help with repairs on the _Chimeara_.

 

 _Meanwhile, in the_ Chimeara’s _Hangar Bay_

 

Wing Commander Nash Windrider was furious at the delay. He had served in the First Galactic Empire for many years until Gilad Pelleaon surrendered to the New Republic, taking his loyal men with him in continuing the war. They had found the Second Imperium and served with it for two years before it fell apart, and, afterwards, wandered about aimlessly until Natasi Daala found them a year before the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion.

 

From there, they had served loyally and ably in her Maw Irregular Fleet, slowly rising trough the ranks from Captain to Wing Comander of Daala’s Death Hand Squadron. He had hated the Force and anything to do with it, blaming it and the Rebel Alliance for the destruction of his homeworld, Alderaan, as well as the betrayal of the love of his life, Ciena Ree, for later defecting to the New Republic after the Battle of Bannistar Station that occurred a few months after the Battle of Endor, following in the footsteps of Thane Kyrell, who Nash despised for deserting the Empire after the Battle of Yavin, and was Cienna’s lover and eventual husband. That was why Daala was one of the few people that he completely trusted, and Daala reciprocated that trust by letting him in on her plans to eradicate all Force users in existence, greatly pleasing him and all of his men.

 

Nash vowed to be the one to kill Mirta Gev for her treason, as well as Edaan Palpatine for betraying his great-great-grandfathter’s vision of a orderly galactic government, despite the original Palpatine being a Force user himself. That was why he and his teammates were personally leading the repairs on the _Chimeara_ alongside Admiral Daala.

 

 _Soon, you and the rest of your wretched kind and supporters will be crushed, Edaan Palpatine, and true order will be restored._ Nash silently vowed as he helped effect repairs to the ship’s engines.

 

_At Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

Corran Horn was preparing his StealthX fighter for takeoff in a few hours when a disturbance in the Force reached him. He sensed a powerful wave of death, destruction, and anger emanate from the Force, as well as the prescence of Edaan Palpatine, making his heart rise, as he was too grim to have it soar. Knowing that the others would want to hear the news, he immediately rushed to the conference room to find Boba Fett and Venku Skirata debriefing their top commanders.

 

Upon seeing Corran, Boba dismissed the leaders and waved Corran over, asking, “Something I can help you with, Master Horn?”

 

I sensed a disturbance in the Force. I felt death, devastation, and a massive amount of anger that I believe was in the Shogun system. I also felt Edaan Palpatine alive and well, so I assume that his plan was a success.” Corran explained.

 

“Venku here told me the same thing, and I am inclined to agree with the two of you.” Boba said.

“Still, I’m alerting the fleet commanders to be on the lookout for any traps or feints that Daala could be planning, as you never know with her.”

 

“True enough. I’ll alert the Jedi and Imperial Knights to remain watchful for any activity in the sector as well.” Corran said, grateful that his actions were being taken despite the two peoples’ differences.

 

“So, if there’s nothing else, I have to prepare my ship for battle.” Boba said, dismissing the aging Jedi.

 

Nodding, Corran went to inform his fellow Force Users, as well as Edaan’s crew and friends, of this development.

 

 _In Hyperspace, Onboard the_ Raptor _, En Route to Mandalore_

Mirta Gev couldn’t believe her luck had held up to this point: her plan had gone off with less casualties than expected, and every ship had made it out safely. _Of course, now comes the hard part: getting_ Ba’buir _to trust us again._ She thought as she watched the _Raptor_ move closer and closer towards its destination.

 

**And, that’s it. Wow! I’m surprised that I was able to write this chapter so quickly. I figured that it would be longer, but at least it’s longer than my last story, that’s a sign of progress. So, with that last chapter out of the way, tell me what you thought of the story. Oh, and before you get angry that I included Nash Windrider in my story, just hear me out first: Yes, I read _Star Wars: Lost Stars_ , and thought that it was a very good book. I also think that, with a little tweaking, it can fit in the old timeline as I tried to do. And, I think that I will include Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree in my next story, but I want your input first. By the way, I have finished Annihilation, and am currently well into _Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories_. I especially enjoy the fifth and sixth stories in that book, and have plans for one of those characters. I’m not going to spoil the surprise and say whom and how, so you’ll just have to guess on your own, okay? So, I think that I’m going to take a little break from writing and put my thoughts together for the next story. Please be patient, and I eagerly hope that you enjoy all of my stories. May the Force be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


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